Reaching Through Time
by Ethril
Summary: When two abused souls cry out for each other, not even Time can keep them a part. But time travel is tricky and one can not stay in the past forever without suffering terribly. Tom and Harry find each other and through one another they heal and find the love they both so desperately needed. Tomarry. Slow burn. Growing up as friends. Longer summary in first chapter
1. Chapter 1

_Summary:_ When two abused souls cry out for each other, not even Time can keep them a part. But time travel is tricky and one can not stay in the past forever without suffering terribly.

Abused by his relatives, a young Harry Potter finds a way to escape for brief moments. He finds himself far away from the people that are supposed to protect him and spending time with another with an equally painful past. But eventually he is always forced to return to his relatives on Privet Drive.

Abused by other children and neglected by adults Tom Riddle has grown cold and is disgusted by the vast majority of people. That is until one day he comes across a softly crying child with beautiful deep green eyes. He is amazed by how this boy appears and disappears from his life and finds himself growing protective of him.

But Time is fickle and one can not stay in the past for very long. Death will come for one or both of them in time.

 _Disclaimer_ : All rights to the Harry Potter world belongs to JKR, not me.

 _A/N_ : hey guys! I've been arguing with myself for awhile about whether or not I should post this. I gave in. I already posted this on AO3 just in case people recognize RTT. Also! Consider going over to my Tumblr: Ethrildragon. I post a lot of updates and announcements about my writing there.

Reaching Through Time  
Chapter1: Innocence

"Tom!"

It was an unusually warm day for late fall; especially on the beach where the children of Wool's Orphanage were running around. While the other children were prancing around on the sand or running around in the shallows, Tom was perched on a large boulder in one of the many rock outcroppings by the ocean.

"Tom!"

That voice again. One that Tom knew oh so well. He smirked ever so slightly as the voice of the young boy called out to him for a third time. Instead of running across the beach to get to Tom, the boy was now standing pressed up against the rocks that Tom was sitting upon.

"Look what I found Tom!"

Tom's shoulder twitched ever so slightly as he continued to ignore the smaller boy that was now attempting to climb up the rocks to join him.

It wasn't a smart idea for one as small as the other to attempt to climb such large and slippery rocks on his own. It was an even dumber idea since the boy was only using one hand what with the other holding something close to his chest.

The older boy watched out of the corner of his eye as the younger struggled and made several faces of concentration and irritation.

Finally the much smaller boy hauled himself up onto the rock that Tom was resting on. Miraculously the boy had never slipped and had only struggled because of his size.

"It's like that shell you told me about. The one with the swirly inside."

The smaller boy held out the thing he had been holding so carefully against his chest for Tom to get a look at.

Sure enough the shell that the smaller boy was holding looked like a conch shell. The problem was though that instead of a smooth curved lip that marked the entrance to the shell, there were long prongs sticking out from the shell opening.

"It kinda looks like a comb." The small boy giggled happily as he continued to hold it out to the older lad.

From what little Tom knew about shells and the creatures that lived in shells, this particular specimen was a long way from home.

Tom pretended to ignore the outstretched shell and turned to look out over the ocean again. He looked at the smaller boy out of the corner of his eye and fought down a smirk when he puffed out his cheeks and scooted closer just so he could deposit the shell into Tom's lap.

With a sigh Tom picked up the shell to examine it closer, much to the glee of the small boy that was watching him with wide green eyes.

Tom held out for as long as he could, with the other boy holding his breath, before he spoke. "It does look like a comb." With that said he handed the shell back to the boy next to him.

It amazed Tom just how much the other boy beamed and grinned, as if the older boy had given him a compliment of some sort. It always amazed Tom how this small boy soaked up any attention he gave him.

"Different types of sea creatures live in shells." Every time the two boys were together Tom always felt the need to share information with the smaller lad. "Are you going to keep it?"

He watched with interest as the younger, smaller boy looked into the opening of the shell. His brows had come together in thought and his green eyes glittered a bit.

"So it's something's home?"

The two were silent for several long minutes after that question.

Home.

It seemed like such an innocent word, but for both boys it had such intense meaning. Neither really knew what a true home was like.

"I suppose so."

The smaller boy set the shell down in front of him and just watched it with wide eyes. "I can't take away something's home! That would be mean!"

When Tom turned his head to frown at the smaller boy he saw tears filling those green eyes that Tom always enjoyed looking into.

With a sigh Tom picked up the shell, stood up, and threw it as hard as he could out towards the ocean. The two boys watched as the shell arched up through the air, carried by the strength of Tom's throwing arm, before it plopped into the ocean at a much greater distance than Tom should have been able to throw it.

It was for the best really. It wasn't like either of them could take the shell back with them when they left the beach.

Tom stood there, staring out at the ocean, for a long time while the smaller boy continued to sit next to him. When Tom finally glanced down he found the tears were gone and the little boy was smiling up at him.

He couldn't understand why the younger boy was so happy, but the smile that reached those green eyes made Tom smile every so slightly as well.

"One day we'll have a home." The small boy said as he stood up as well. He wobbled a little, but was steadied when Tom took his lightly flailing arm. "And no one will take it away." The small boy babbled about having a real family as well and lots of friends that would come and play at their home.

Tom liked that idea. It would be wonderful having a home for the two of them. He couldn't have cared less about having a family or friends so long as the younger boy was with him, but if having a family would make the boy happy then Tom would just learn to be content.

A movement down the beach caught Tom's attention. A woman, probably Martha since Mrs. Cole couldn't be bothered with waving like that, was beckoning and motioning that it was time to go.

Tom didn't want to leave yet, but it was getting colder and the sun was making it's way closer and closer towards the horizon.

With a deep sigh Tom tugged at the smaller boy's hand and the two hopped from rock to rock almost effortlessly until they were on the pebble strewn sandy beach once more.

"I don't wanna go back Tom." A small whimper left the equally small boy and there was a tight feeling in Tom's chest. Quickly Tom knelt down so that the two were almost eye to eye.

"I don't want to either." He said softly and quickly. There was something like a tugging sensation as he grabbed onto the boy's shoulders. "One day I'll find a way so we'll never have to go back!" Tom proclaimed as he held as tightly as he could onto the smaller boy's shoulders.

The smaller boy smiled sadly at Tom, but there was hope there. Hope and trust that only Tom ever got to see.

And then, strangely and inexplicably, the smaller boy vanished.

The two never said goodbye when the time came for the younger to vanish like that. It felt wrong to say goodbye, because goodbye felt too permanent.

"I'll see you soon." Tom said into the wind as his hands dropped and he stood up. "Take care, Harry."

Tom didn't see his green eyed little friend for several weeks after that, but when he did he felt even more resolute about finding a way to keep Harry by his side.

September turned into October. That had been the last trip to the beach for the season since the biting winds were growing colder and the days were getting so much shorter.

Like he usually always did while Harry was gone, Tom reflected on his memories of when the two had first met. The first time Tom had seen Harry some 2 years ago come to mind and he hummed ever so softly as he recalled every detail.

Tom had always known he was different, a freak. He'd been bullied since as early as he could remember and had always been turned away even the few times he did try to integrate and socialize with the other children.

It was just something that he had accepted even if he hated it.

All that changed though when one day he was walking to his favorite tree in the park and he heard small whimpers and quiet sobs.

Normally such sounds disgusted him, only babies or girls cried, but he felt a tugging sensation in his chest. He thought it was curiosity at first, that feeling, so he decided to investigate the quiet sobbing.

Finding the quietly crying child was easy enough, Tom was very good at finding things. The child, when Tom pushed aside the bushes that were hiding the sniffling child, was sitting with his knees drawn up and held against his chest. His face was pressed against his knees and hidden by black unruly strands of hair.

"Stop crying."

The order wasn't harsh, it wasn't mean sounding like when Tom ordered the other kids at the orphanage, it was just an order. The words were bland and emotionless, but at least the distracted the little child that was hunched over and sobbing.

The black haired head lifted up slowly and Tom quickly realized why the boy was sobbing.

One eye was swollen shut and there was a nasty bruise darkening on his cheek underneath it. Tom winced just looking at the ugly color.

Empathy and sympathy were things that Tom didn't normally feel, but at that moment he felt a flutter in his chest and the rage that he was so accustomed to rose up within him. Instead of being focused at the boy though, Tom was surprised that his anger was trying to find whoever had done this to the younger child.

"How old are you?" Tom demanded as he carefully stepped through the bush he had been holding to the side so he was standing closer to the boy.

The boy rubbed at his one good eye with a battered and patched corner of a shirt sleeve that looked too big for the tiny boy. "Fwee."

When the boy spoke Tom noticed he was missing a tooth. Three year old children were not supposed to be losing teeth!

"I'm Tom."

With his name given Tom sat down across from the boy, intently staring at the harm that had been inflicted on the smaller boy's face.

"Hawwy."

The younger boy was having trouble speaking. It was plainly obvious he was in pain, but what could Tom even do about it? Why did he even feel the need to help the boy anyway?

Despite his confusion over these new feelings Tom continued to ask things of Harry.

"Who did this to you?"

The boy hesitated. It was plainly obvious he was afraid of something. His good eye looked around, searching for someone or something that could possibly jump out at him. His shoulders were even shaking.

"No one is going to hurt you." Tom's words were forceful, strong, and would have intimidated a normal person. Instead the boy in front of him slowly relaxed until even his shoulders had stopped shaking. "Who hurt you?"

"Dudey." Tom had no idea what a 'dudey' was. "A nice lady gave me a cookie and my cousin Dudey hit me for it."

Now Tom was starting to understand.

"Aunt 'tunia said it was my fault. I shouldna taken the cookie." Harry looked at his knees in misery as his good eye started filling with fresh tears. "Unca 'ernon slapped me when he found out I got a cookie."

As hard as Harry tried not to cry again a small sob slipped past his lips. He cringed and flinched away from Tom, expecting him to hit him as well.

"Why would your family hit you?" Tom demanded. "Why didn't your parents stop them?"

Harry looked anywhere but at Tom. "Don have any."

The words were spoken so softly that Tom almost missed them. Harry was an orphan, like him, but instead of being in an orphanage with abusive children and neglectful adults he was trapped with abusive relatives.

"Aunt 'tunia says a freak like me don deserve parents."

Tom saw red. He hated that word. He LOATHED that word. Even at the tender age of 7 he had been called that word so many times.

"You're not a freak."

If Tom could prevent another child from being called that word, he would. If he could somehow curse the word and anyone that used it in malice, he would. As it was the best he could do was comfort this other much younger boy.

"I am!" Harry insisted weakly. "Stuff happens! Stuff flies around and a glass broke and my ouchies go away fast."

Tom felt a chill go down his spine as the boy's voice grew in pitch. All those things that the boy was saying, were things that Tom could do if he concentrated hard enough.

Sure enough now that Tom was really looking at the boy he noticed that the swelling in his eye had gone down quite a bit and the bruise on his cheek wasn't such an ugly purple color. The tooth was still missing though.

"Doesn't make you a freak." Tom hissed out.

Before he even considered what he was doing, Tom rolled onto his knees from where he was sitting and leaned forward.

Having never actually been hugged, on purpose at least, Tom was surprised he knew how to embrace the other boy. When he pulled away Harry looked equally surprised at the kind gesture.

"You are not a freak." Tom insisted. "Say it."

Harry hesitated and his tongue darted out to swipe at his bottom lip. "I'm not a freak." His voice was quite and his words trembled. Again his good eye darted around as if expecting a fist to materialize out of thin air aimed at his head.

Tom disliked how weak Harry was speaking. "Louder."

It took Harry a couple tries, but eventually his voice rose up so it was at a normal speaking level. "I'm not a freak."

With a nod of his head Tom stood up and held out a hand to Harry.

Without a word spoken Harry took the offered hand and was awkwardly helped in standing up. The way he winced told Tom that Harry had other injuries hidden under his clothes.

There wasn't much space at the orphanage, but Tom figured he could share his room since he was the only person that still didn't have a roommate. He didn't feel disgust for Harry the way he did for the other children and if Harry really was like him then the two of them needed to stick together.

"Are you hungry?" Tom asked when a strange sound came from Harry's stomach.

The smaller boy nodded slowly and hesitantly, shrinking inward again in a way that made Tom think that people hit the boy quite frequently.

"Come on then. I'll get us some food."

The others in the orphanage didn't seem to notice Harry or Tom as the two of them entered. Tom led the way, his head held up and his eyes glued in front of him. He looked to be in a sort of trance as the two went into the kitchen and Tom scavenged around for anything he could grab and carry.

Tom was able to grab a couple apples, half a loaf of bread, and even some cheese before he took Harry up to his room.

The apples were difficult for Harry to eat, so Tom took out the knife he kept concealed in his wardrobe and cut the hard skinned fruit into slices for the younger boy. The two ate in silence, Tom nodding encouragingly when the smaller boy hesitated every now and then between bites.

Harry was just finishing up his bread and cheese when he gasped and wrapped his arms around himself. Tom was about to ask what was wrong when he felt a weird pressure in his chest. He felt like something was pulling at him, pulling at something inside him.

"I gotta go." Harry's words were rushed and he was hyperventilating. "Aunt 'tunia is coming back. I can hear her. She's mad." His battered eye was open now and the swelling was almost completely gone. "She hates when I do stuff."

Tom was so very confused by Harry's words. What in the world was the boy talking about? Had he been hit on his head? Tom hadn't seen any blood or signs of swelling, but then Harry's black wild hair could have hidden an injury.

Harry, who had been sitting right next to Tom on the floor, grabbed onto Tom's shirt and held on as if the other was a life line. "Thank you Tom! Thank you thank you tha-"

And then Harry was gone.

Tom had spent days after that wondering if he had simply hallucinated the other boy, his loneliness finally getting to him. It would make sense for a 'freak' like him to create an imaginary friend. He hated himself for this new insanity.

That was until Harry came back one morning, hesitant and hiding at the end of Tom's bed, his green eyes completely healed and oh so very big.

Tom let a small smile grace his lips as he finished up that memory. It had taken a few more visits from Harry for Tom to realize that he wasn't a hallucination. Other people could see Harry, the bullies had tried to gang up on the two of them a few times, and even Mrs. Cole had questioned where Harry had come from whenever the boy was around.

Harry was real.

The small, black haired, green eyed, boy was real and he would appear and disappear seemingly at random.

For two years the two grew close. Tom had become protective of Harry and whenever the boy appeared to him battered and bruised Tom would feel his hatred for other humans grow.

Tom always knew he was different, that he had a darkness inside him, but Harry was different as well and Tom knew, oh how he knew, that Harry was full of light.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: blah blah blah do not own it

A/N: Make sure to check out my Tumblr: Ethrildragon for chapter updates. Sometimes I even announce livestreams where you guys can watch me flail at my muse until I get stuff written.

Reaching Through Time  
Chapter 2: Halloween

It was late October when Harry was finally able to visit again.

Tom had just finished his classes and was walking home from school when he felt a presence walking right next to him.

"When do you start school?" Tom asked even before he looked to see who it was that had taken his free hand. He didn't need to look; there was only one person that had permission to touch him in any way, shape, or form.

Harry made a small noise in the back of his throat before speaking. "Next year. Everyone thinks I'm to little to go to school this year."

Even though the boy had just turned 5 this past summer he still looked so tiny and young. He had barely grown in the last couple years and it worried Tom greatly.

Tom knew how badly Harry wanted to start school, if only to get away from his wretched relatives for a few hours a day. Their visits were wonderful, but they were too infrequent for either of their tastes.

"Want me to show you what I've been learning?"

A few months after Harry had visited for the first time Tom had discovered that his young friend was incredibly intelligent; something else that they shared. So Tom had taken it upon himself to start teaching Harry how to read.

The green eyed boy had absorbed everything Tom had taught him like a sponge.

Those lessons were also when Tom and Harry had discovered that Harry couldn't take anything with him when he vanished. Tom quickly recalled that memory as he squeezed Harry's hand gently.

"Here." Tom was carefully drawing the alphabet for Harry to copy. Despite being so smart harry was still not even 4 years old yet so his hands didn't have the dexterity that Tom's did. So Harry's letters were wobbly and uneven.

Tom smiled as Harry took the paper that he had written on and once again began working out how to draw the letters. The boy's tongue was caught between his lips and his brows were crinkled in concentration.

When Harry had finished the page Tom took it to look over. The younger boy waited with baited breath until finally Tom nodded his head. "Your lines are still shaky, but you understand the letters at least."

That was more than Tom could say for most of the other children in the orphanage. Even some of the kids older than Tom had trouble reading and writing; and Tom was only 7.

Tom then grabbed one of the children's books that he knew Harry would enjoy practicing his reading with. It wouldn't do for the younger boy to grow stagnant in his lessons while they were not together.

All too soon the two boys felt the familiar tugging in their chests that told them that Harry was about to go.

"Take this. Practice. When you come back I want you to read the entire book to me." Tom pressed the book into Harry's arms. Those deep green eyes looked down at the book and then up at Tom in wonder and it shocked Tom like it always did to have someone looking at him in such a way.

"Can I...I can keep this?" Harry asked slowly and hesitantly as he looked down at the book again. It was a simple children's book with only a dozen pages with large script, but it was still something that he'd never had before!

Tom cleared his throat. It was times like this that Tome realized that in some ways he was better off compared to Harry. At least Tom had access to things like books and clothes that fit relatively well. "Yes. It's for you."

Harry's cheeks turned a bright red and he hugged the book close. His smile was so bright and his eyes so big that when he did vanish that brightness stayed.

There was a thumping sound against the floor and Tom looked at the object that had fallen. It was the book that he had given Harry to read.

He had been unable to take it with him.

Tom kept the book in his room, hidden in the wardrobe, for when harry returned. And when Harry did return he was instantly in tears begging Tom to forgive him because he had no idea where the book had gone.

With the memory ending Tom found he was holding onto Harry's hand a little too tightly. He hated seeing Harry upset, those green eyes even brighter and shimmering when there were tears there.

"Tom?"

Quickly Tom looked down at the much shorter boy and he gave Harry a small smile to show he was fine.

Harry returned the smile and lightly swung their clasped hands back and forth. "So what did you learn today?"

When Tom had started school in September the school had quickly realized just how gifted he was and had quickly advanced him. Even though he was a grade ahead of his peers Tom felt like he was still eons ahead of others.

"Well I borrowed the math book for the third grade class." Tom reached into his bag and pulled out the battered text book that he technically was not allowed to take out of the school. "We're going over adding and subtracting larger numbers in my class...but this talks about so much more."

As smart as Harry was he wasn't exactly ready for things beyond addition and subtraction.

Back at the orphanage Mrs. Cole didn't even bat an eye at Harry's arrival. She'd accepted long ago that Harry was probably a local child that had made friends with Tom.

Martha was encouraging of the friendship. Tom had become so much calmer since Harry had started visiting and he was much less angry with the other children. So, with encouraging words from Martha, Mrs. Cole let the black haired boy visit.

Once up in Tom's room he handed Harry the literature book that his own class was reading. "Read the first few pages then we'll go play."

Harry pouted. He had been hoping the two of them could go to the park.

"Just the first few pages." Tom repeated when harry didn't open the book he had been given.

With a very dramatic sigh Harry sat down on the floor next to Tom's bed and opened the book. He enjoyed learning, but his time with Tom was never enough and Harry wanted to enjoy that time together.

After a few minutes of reading Harry closed the book. "Halloween is almost here." His words were softly spoken and it made Tom look up.

Harry only spoke like that when something weighty was on his mind. Tom stayed silent as he waited for his friend to continue.

"Aunt Petunia told me my parents died on Halloween. Died in a car crash."

Tom closed his own book then with a quiet snap and set it down on his bed. "Come on." He helped Harry up and then led him out of the bedroom and out of the orphanage.

"Do you think you'll be able to come here then?"

Those first visits Harry made had been chaotic and unplanned; he appeared and vanished in no order. Sometimes he would visit on consecutive days, other times it'd been weeks before Harry showed up. The two were able to figure out that if Harry focused hard enough he could usually visit Tom at least once a week.

They had tried every day, but after a few visits Harry had started to become pale and lethargic; his eyes dim and his words slurring together.

Sometimes it didn't work, but for the most part if they planned ahead of time they could control when Harry visited.

Harry nodded quickly. He would much rather be with Tom on the day of his parents death then with his horrible family. Harry would probably just end up locked in the cupboard again anyway; like last year.

"Halloween is...nice here." Tom told Harry slowly. Last year they hadn't really thought about Harry visiting on a holiday; they had been too distracted with the fact that Harry was coming and going. "Martha gives everyone a piece of candy. The little kids make paper masks and the older kids help carve pumpkins.

It wasn't anything fancy, but at least it was something. Tom had always declined to participate, but maybe this year he would enjoy it more with Harry present.

With the plan for Harry to visit on Halloween made, the two went to the park and climbed their tree together.

Harry visited one more time before Halloween, but that had been a relatively short visit; just long enough for Tom to grab Harry some food for him to eat as they went over Harry's lessons. Too soon Harry had to leave because he could hear one of his relatives open the door to his cupboard.

Which angered Tom further.

He didn't show Harry his anger, no he kept it locked away when his small friend was visiting, but Tom knew if he ever got his hands on Harry's relatives he would most definitely do something gruesome to them.

At least Tom had his own ROOM and wasn't forced to sleep under the stairs in a tiny storage space.

Finally Halloween arrived. Tom had been looking forward to showing Harry a good time; something the boy had never gotten to experience on such an important childhood holiday. He himself might not have cared about the childish holiday, but he cared about Harry and just the thought of Harry being happy made Tom happy.

Harry didn't come at breakfast.

Tom knew that Harry couldn't stay the whole day. That would mean his relatives had shut him away and had forgotten about him.

He did come at lunch.

That was fine. Harry was probably doing chores or other things that his horrible aunt and uncle made him do.

An hour before dinner Tom was physically displaying his worry. The festivities would be starting soon and he didn't want Harry to miss any of it!

He was about to go to one of the adults for help when he felt a hand grabbing at the back of his shirt.

Tom spun around smiling only for his smile to vanish and his already pale skin to grow whiter.

Harry was smiling, the best he could, but he was injured. Blood was dripping a slow path down from the boy's black hair down his forehead and into his eye. There were cuts on Harry's exposed arms and he wasn't wearing any shoes. The poor boy's feet were blistered, cut, and bleeding. His shirt was torn up on his side like some wild animal had tried to grab him there.

And yet Harry was smiling like he didn't have a care in the world.

"Martha!" Tom screamed as Harry collapsed. Tom flung out his arms to catch the falling boy, not caring about the blood or dirt that Harry was getting on him.

Tom screamed for an adult again. He must have looked quite a sight yelling for help, his eyes wide with terror. The other children, even the ones that would bully and abuse him, quickly moved out of the way when Tom picked Harry up and carried him towards the kitchen where Martha would be.

Not just Martha came out at the sound of someone yelling for help, Mrs. Cole came charging out of her office as well.

In the course of the last couple years Harry had somehow endeared himself to the two women with his timid and polite nature. The attention Martha had paid Harry had always annoyed Tom, but in this case that affection was a benefit.

The moment Martha and Mrs. Cole say Harry, bleeding and unconscious in Tom's arms, they both burst into action.

Mrs. Cole gave Martha quick orders to call for a doctor while she ushered Tom into her own bedroom where she kept bandages in case of emergency.

"What happened?" Mrs. Cole asked as she began looking over Harry and categorizing all of his wounds. She began cleaning the cuts even before Tom could answer.

"I was waiting for him all day. I invited him for Halloween." Which Martha had known about since Harry had insisted they ask for permission first. "He came in a few minutes ago like-like that!"

Other than the injury to Harry's head it didn't seem he had anything worse than the cuts on his arms and feet.

It was a blessing that Martha knew of a doctor that lived down the street from the orphanage, otherwise they would have had to wait much longer for someone with actual medical experience to arrive to look over Harry.

Mrs. Cole did a decent job cleaning little Harry's wounds and the doctor was able to tell them that the boy had only cut his head and there weren't any signs of swelling. The man was concerned over Harry's health, practically accusing Mrs. Cole of starving the boy.

"He doesn't live here." Tom told the doctor sourly. "He lives with his aunt and uncle." As much as Tom disliked Mrs. Cole since he'd met Harry Tom had grown to marginally respect the woman. As apathetic as the woman seemed at least she protected the children in her charge.

"Despicable." The doctor mumbled as he cleaned up his kit. "The poor lad is so severely malnourished it's a miracle he's alive. There's evidence of past trauma as well. Judging on the cuts on his feet I'd say he was running from something."

The adults in the room left, Martha making a small comment about how children should not be privy to such talk. Tom caught a few words about how the doctor would need to report this obvious abuse and asking if they knew who Harry's family was.

Tom stopped listening in on the adults and turned his attention to the small boy that he had grown so attached to.

He'd seen Harry will all sorts of bumps and bruises, but he had never seen Harry so pale from lack of blood. Tom felt enraged as he stared at his friend who seemed to be barely breathing. He swore, to every god, power, or unknown entity out there that if he ever got his hands on Harry's relatives they would feel all of Harry's pain ten fold. No, a hundred fold!

"T-Tom."

The voice was so soft and broken that Tom was afraid it belonged to a ghost rather than his little Harry.

"Tell me what happened." Tom's voice was stern and demanded Harry to tell the truth. He would not stand for his most precious person to try and cover up what had happened to him.

Harry's eyes fluttered open and he turned his head stiffly to look at Tom. He sucked in his breath painfully at what he saw.

He knew that Tom had a darkness in him, an anger that could easily be riled and brought to the surface like a sudden summer storm. That much raw rage and power had always been kept locked away from Harry. Now though he could feel the power that swirled around Tom and Harry thought he saw a strange dark shadow moving in the corner of his vision.

Harry licked his lips and coughed a little as he tried to speak. Tom's ire broke long enough for him to realize that Harry's throat was painfully dry and he got up to grab a glass of water.

Once his throat wasn't dry and aching Harry was finally able to speak. "Aunt Marj was visiting." He winced and flinched at just saying her name. "She brought one of her bulldogs with her and it...it got lose and chased me."

And now there was yet another of Harry's relatives that Tom had a reason to dislike. He so wanted to just wrap his fingers around each and every one of their throats for putting his sweet and innocent Harry in danger.

"A-at first I thought m-maybe she'd call her dog off." Harry stammered weakly. His eyes grew distant as he recalled what had happened so very recently. "But the dog chased me down the road. She didn't care. It chased me into an alley and a-almost...it almost..." Harry's hand went to the ripped part of his shirt at his side. "Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon forbade me from doing any funny stuff around Aunt Marj. I couldn't even try to get to you until then."

The fear in Harry's voice and in his beautiful green eyes made Tom's heart twist in his chest and he climbed up onto the bed to pull Harry into his lap. The smaller boy whimpered, but not from pain, and he clung to Tom in desperation. Only in Tom's arms did he feel even remotely safe.

"Harry dear." Both boys looked up at when Martha opened the door. Tom's eyes were sharp and almost predatory like while Harry's were filled with trepidation and fear. "There's an officer here that would like to speak with you. Would that be alright?"

Martha had always been kind to Harry, even when Tom had tried to keep her away from Harry, so the small green eyed boy at least trusted that she wouldn't do something to purposefully harm him.

"Tom can stay with you if you want."

Finally Harry nodded and the uniformed officer was escorted in. Since Tom had elected to stay with Harry Mrs. Cole had to be present as well seeing as how Tom was her ward.

Harry answered the officer's questions as best he could, slowly and fearfully giving the names of his relatives and where he lived. The uniformed man was kind though and spoke gently. He told Harry that he was being a brave boy and that he would get some candy after all this was over.

Sure enough once the officer had all his answers questioned he gave both Tom and Harry several pieces of candy.

It was decided among the adults that little Harry would stay at Wool's orphanage while the police looked into the abuse charges that the doctor wanted to charge against Harry's legal guardians.

"Everything will be alright now." Tom whispered as he held onto Harry while the smaller boy unwrapped his candy slowly and ate the pieces carefully. There was a look of sheer bliss on Harry's face as his eyes closed and his lips turned up into a smile as he enjoyed that small sweet treat.

It was a short lived dream. They both felt the start of the tugging that would inevitably pull Harry away from Tom and the safety of his arms.

"No!" Harry cried out as he clung to Tom in desperation.

Tom's arms tightened around Harry and that rage that had slowly receded as he watched Harry enjoy his Halloween candy came back. The shadow that Harry had barely witnessed before filled the room that they were alone in.

"I'll keep you safe!" Tom swore as he fought blindly against the pull that was trying to steal Harry away from him; to whisk the fragile small boy away to a house of pain and neglect.

The pulling feeling grew stronger, but Tom struggled and snarled at whatever presence was trying to take Harry. Another power, one gold in color, joined the darkness that was swirling and spinning around them as Harry clung to the first person to have ever show real affection towards him.

The battle raged silently with the strange power that always pulled Harry away and the two boys that had created the storm of dark and light around them.

Suddenly the fight ended and it was like a rope had snapped and broken from the strain of trying to pull Harry away. Both the darkness and the gold that had created a bubble around the two boys vanished instantly.

"I-" Harry reached up to rub at his chest. He felt light as a feather and even the pain from his cuts was gone.

"You're still here." Tom struggled to keep the solitary sob from getting past his lips, but it did and he quickly buried his face into Harry's shoulder. "You're still here."

Somehow the two of them had won against the power that had kept them a part. And yet, despite the weightlessness that Harry felt, unease settled in the back of his mind. A feeling of _wrongness_ that slipped around in the back of his mind.

A ghost of a whisper slipped through Harry's mind telling him that he could stay for a little while, but he would eventually have to go back. The voice was sorrowful and strangely familiar, but as quickly as it had come it had gone.

Tom held onto Harry and gently rocked him. They were both so exhausted after what had happened so when the doctor came in and offered to help Harry up to Tom's room both boys accepted without complaint.

Harry was still there, with Tom, and the older boy was determined to never let the younger out of his sight again.

Little did they both know their respite would be brief.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Maybe I can find a way to Obliviate the world until everyone believes I own it...which I don't.

A/N: yadda yadda, check out my tumblr: Ethrildragon for updates.

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 3: Revelations and Changes

2 days.

It had been two days since Harry had arrived at Wool's orphanage cut up and bleeding. Two days since Tom and Harry fought against that invisible force that tried to steal Harry away. Two days since the police officer had launched the formal investigation into Harry's abusive family.

Harry was healing quickly physically, much to the surprise and relief of the adults that were worried about him, but Tom wasn't worried about his physical injuries as much as the boy's emotional and mental ones.

Whenever a door slammed or when there was a loud noise Harry would jump and cringe away. Whenever a dog barked outside Harry would whimper and hide in a corner or behind something. Harry only ever spoke if Tom was with him.

The happy and smiling boy that Tom had come to treasure was hidden deep inside Harry and Tom didn't know how to bring him back out.

Tom understood, to an extent, what Harry was going through. He had almost died because of a dog that belonged to a supposed family member. Harry had reluctantly revealed that his 'Aunt Marg' had even laughed as her precious dog had chased him down.

Two days had passed by before the police officer from before returned to give Mrs. Cole and Martha some very troubling news.

"Harry, Tom," Martha very gently opened the door to the room Tom was sharing with Harry. "Officer Collins is here. He'd like to speak with you."

Tom made sure Harry was up for talking to the officer before nodding to Martha.

As gently as he could, Officer Collins entered the room and brought over the only vacant chair that had been arranged under a rather plain work desk.

"Harry...I just wanted to make sure I got your statement correct." Officer Collins told the little boy that was huddled in his friend's arms on the bed. He kept his expression as neutral as possible as he watched the older boy hold Harry close to his chest.

"You said Your uncle's last name was Dursley correct?" Officer Collins asked as he looked from his notepad to Harry. "And that your family lives in number 4 Privet Drive in Little Whinging, Surrey?" Harry nodded to both questions, as well as several others to affirm his statement from two days ago.

Officer Collins frowned as he stared from his notepad to Harry. He took a deep breath before speaking slowly and carefully.

"Harry...I'm afraid we can't find your family. Or your home." In truth the police department had found a Dursley family, but Vernon Dursley wasn't among them. Privet Drive in Little Whinging was a development with no houses. "I-It's possible you bumped your head when you were attacked. So some things might be fuzzy."

Harry felt his heart stop in his chest when Officer Collins gave him the news. How could his relatives not exist? Or the house he was living in with them? Had he hit his head and given wrong information? But Tom had been there in the room with him and he knew everything that Harry knew.

"I-I"

"Harry's upset." It was a blessing having Tom there with him to say the things that Harry couldn't quite seem to get out. "Leave." That last word came out a forced. Officer Collins hesitated a moment, but then his eyes grew glassy and he nodded sleepily before standing and walking out of the room.

Tom let the breath he'd been holding as the adult left. It was a skill that Tom had discovered very recently, the ability to influence people for a short time. As long as he could make eye contact he could make most people do simple things like leave him alone.

"Breathe Harry." Tom whispered once it was just the two of them again. "He doesn't know what he's talking about. I know your horrible relatives are out there and I'm never letting them near you again."

And yet even though he said those words a traitorous voice in his mind told Tom that Harry would have to go back. And soon.

Tom hissed mentally at himself. In what world would he ever let Harry go back to people that had almost allowed him to die?! But that voice persisted and insisted that something bad would happen if Harry stayed for too long. Tom chose not to believe the voice.

"Breathe."

Harry knew he was close to having a panic attack. He could feel his heart pounding hard and fast in his chest and he couldn't seem to focus his eyes on any one thing.

"Breathe."

Tom's voice was soft and gentle. Only Harry ever got to hear or see Tom like this.

"Breathe."

The smaller boy found himself taking in deeper breaths each time Tom told him too. Soon his eyelids drooped and his heart stopped racing. Exhaustion washed over Harry and when Tom told him to breathe again the small boy fell asleep in the arms of the one person that he trusted completely.

Tom let out a sigh of relief when Harry finally calmed down. He was worried that Harry had fallen asleep in his arms, but at least he wasn't hyperventilating anymore.

It begged to question though: why were the police having trouble finding Harry's relatives? Officer Collins had admitted to finding people with the last name of Dursley, and yet they hadn't found Harry's despicable uncle and aunt.

As carefully as he could Tom settled Harry onto the bed and out of his arms. The smaller boy whimpered in his sleep when Tom let him go to wrap him up with a blanket.

Harry was still too weak to walk around and his feet were still healing so Tom had to go down to the dinning room to get food for them to share up in his room.

When Tom left his room he found Officer Collins and Mrs. Cole speaking quietly. He paused for a moment, to make sure whatever it was they were talking about wasn't important, before walking past them to go to the dinning hall where dinner was being served.

For the last two days all the other children in the orphanage had been staying out of Tom's way. It was a nice change to when the bullies would try to knock his food out of his hands. Mrs. Cole must have said something to them...that or they had been especially spooked by what had happened to Harry.

Tom shook his head to clear his thoughts before going back up to his room. Harry was still asleep, but at least his breathing was deep and even.

As he waited for Harry to wake up from his nap Tom ate some of the food he'd brought up. It was almost a half hour later when the small boy on Tom's bed started to stir.

"Eat." Tom demanded softly as Harry weakly sat up.

The nap must have done so good because when Harry looked at Tom his gave him a bright, but tired, smile. It was the first real smile Harry had given him since he'd first arrived cut up and bloody.

There was something off about the smile though. It was genuine, but it looked weak and Harry had a hard time keeping the smile in place. The more Tom examined Harry the more he realized the boy looked off.

Harry was pale, sickly looking, which wasn't a surprise because of how much blood he had probably lost. The cuts were healing, but they were healing exponentially slower as compared to how quickly Harry normally healed. His hands shook slightly as he picked up his food and Tom could see he was having trouble even holding his fork.

There was something wrong and it was scaring Tom.

"Harry." When the boy paused eating to look up at Tom, the older boy continued. "How are you feeling?"

Surprisingly the smaller boy frowned and really considered the question. "Tired...but in a weird way." He reached up to rub at his chest unconsciously. "Like...like no matter how much I sleep I keep being tired." Little Harry looked down at his food with a frown. "It feels like something is being pulled out."

Tom felt disturbed while Harry rubbed at his chest. It'd only been 2 days since the two of them had fought off the unknown force, so it was understandable for Harry to feel tired. But what did he mean by that last bit?

Out of curiosity and concern Tom reached out to put his own hand against Harry's chest. He couldn't feel exactly what Harry was feeling, but it did feel like something was slipping out between his fingers.

Tom cursed silently and he frowned at where his hand was pressed against Harry's chest. He glared ta the spot, willing whatever it was that was leaving his precious Harry to stop.

A pained gasp from Harry made Tom stop whatever it was that he was doing. Harry whimpered when Tom lifted his hand away.

"I'm scared Tom." Harry whispered as he clutched at his borrowed shirt. "What if...what if there's something really wrong with me?" He was feeling weaker with every minute that slipped by. "What if I have to go back?"

"No!" Tom snarled in anger. "We'll figure this out! You will never go back there!" He had been terrified of losing his friend to the clutches of death.

Both of them wanted Harry to stay, but both of them knew in their hearts that they wouldn't get what they wanted.

Harry's strength deteriorated rapidly after that. Whatever it was that healed Harry stopped and his the red cuts on his arms stood out against his pale skin. The next morning Harry couldn't even sit up without help.

The tugging feeling started again, but this time Tom felt like it was 'desperately asking' to be allowed to do what needed to be done.

"It's ok Tom." Harry's voice was tiny and his lips barely moved as he spoke. "I'll be back. Promise."

The power tugged a little more insistently until finally Tom nodded stiffly. His eyes locked with Harry's as the tugging grew stronger.

Harry gave Tom his biggest smile and not a moment later he was gone.

There was a sharp cracking sound as Tom's bedroom window cracked. He had to keep reminding himself that Harry always kept his promises; the other boy would be back.

* * *

Harry knew he was probably the only person that could read Tom even when all he showed was anger. He knew Tom was in pain and scared so right before the tugging in his chest grew to it's full strength he poured all of his warmth, affection, and trust into a smile that was meant for Tom and Tom alone.

And then Harry was no longer in Tom's bedroom. Instead he was in that alley that his Aunt Marj's dog had chased him down into.

Even though it was cold out Harry could feel warmth quickly spreading through his limbs. It was like something had been blocking something important inside him and it had been removed. He still felt weak and it was difficult for him to even sit up, but he did it.

"What in the-" Harry heard a gasp and he struggled to look at the woman that was standing at the entrance of the alley. He winced thinking that the woman would be mad, but he found himself being lifted into warm arms.

"Don't you worry hun, I've got you!"

As much as Harry should have been cautious and worried about who this woman was all he could think about was that she was holding him and rocking him gently. It felt nice. Not as nice as when Tom would hold him, but it was nice.

Harry drifted off to sleep as he heard a strange melody and then the woman speaking hurriedly.

When he came too harry was in a very white room and there was a light beeping sound off to his side. He shifted around and frowned when he found that something was attached to his arm.

"Oh good! You're awake!"

Harry's head twisted around and his heart rate picked up in fear when he saw a strange woman in a long white coat holding a clipboard.

"We were worried when you wouldn't wake up. You're vitals were all over the place." The woman had a colorful badge pinned to her chest with the name 'Dr. Meriweather'. The woman was careful to keep her distance as she got closer to sit in a chair next to Harry's bed.

"May I know your name?"

The woman, a doctor Harry realized as his mind caught up with him, reminded him of Officer Collins with his gentle words and careful movements.

"Harry Potter." Harry said slowly, his words tiny and his eyes looking at the doctor warily. His aunt and uncle had always threatened to take him to special doctors if he ever misbehaved; doctors that would keep him locked up and restrained.

He wasn't restrained at the moment, except for the tub that was connected to his arm, but he could move around.

"Thank you Harry. I'm Dr. Meriweather." The woman had a nice smile. It didn't quite reach her eyes, but it was relaxed. "A very nice woman found you collapsed in an alley. Do you remember what happened? Where you got all those cuts?"

Harry hesitated. Should he tell her about his family and what they had done to him? When he'd told Officer Collins they had tried to find the Dursleys, but they had failed.

There was a knock at the door and a uniformed man came in.

"Officer Shelly, thank you for coming!"

Something was wrong. When the police officer came in the first thing Harry noticed was that the man's uniform was completely different from the one Officer Collins had worn. It was a completely different color and the buttons had a different design to them. Not only that, but the new officer had a radio while Harry swore officer Collins hadn't had one.

Harry was a smart boy and he quickly figured out that he should NOT tell them anything about Tom or about spending time at Wool's orphanage. That little voice in the back of his head agreed that it would be best if he kept that a secret.

So when asked again how he had gotten all those cuts he told them everything up until the point of going to Tom. He told them that he'd gotten away from the dog, but had gotten lost for two days trying to find his way home. Harry told them how he hadn't wanted to go home so he hadn't tried all that hard.

Officer Shelly kept his expression neutral, but Dr. Meriweather's eyes were hard with rage.

"Oh!" When she realized Harry was shrinking away from her, the woman quickly softened her gaze and placed a hand gently on Harry's shoulder. "I'm not mad at you dear! Why don't we let you rest? I'm sure lunch will be brought soon!" She smiled and winked a little playfully. "I'll make sure you get some chocolate pudding."

It most definitely did NOT take the police two days this time to find the Dursley's. In fact they were found within the hour and Harry's Uncle was brought in for questioning.

When his Aunt Petunia arrived she was escorted by a rather fierce looking woman with her hair up in a very tight bun. That rigid and cross expression that the woman had was only ever directed at Harry's aunt. She didn't exactly soften when she looked or spoke to Harry, but she was very cordial and serious.

"My name is Madam LeRue. I'm a family social worker." The woman told Harry as Aunt Petunia shifted around uncomfortably near the door. "Dr. Meriweather and Officer Shelly had updated me on the situation and I will assure you Harry that I will not allow any more abuse to happen here."

She looked sharply at Aunt Petunia, who swallowed thickly. "I will be blunt. We can not find your birth certificate. Your name is not in any database. It is like you do not exist." She sent Harry's aunt a scathing glare. "This has been rectified. Fixed." Madam LeRue cleared her throat before opening a file that Harry noticed had his name on it.

"According to your doctor you are severely nutrient deficient and malnourished. The cuts on your arms aren't deep, but there are many. Your body shows signs of past injuries associated with beatings." Madam LeRue softened then and there was sympathy in her eyes. She quickly became serious again.

"Although your Aunt and Uncle assure me that you are well taken care of the professional opinion of your doctor disagrees." Madam LeRue shut Harry's file and slipped it under her arm. "I have suggested you be removed from their care, along with your cousin, but your Aunt swears that your situation at home will improve rapidly. Seeing as how I am now your case worker I will be performing weekly checks to make sure you, and your cousin, are being properly cared for."

Why were they including his cousin in this whole thing? His parents never struck him, never yelled at him, and never starved him.

"Dr. Meriweather says you are a very intelligent boy for your age and that you understand what is going on. So I will tell you that the reason your cousin is being included in this case is because he is so drastically over weight that his health is at risk. Family Social Services steps in whenever a child's health and welfare are at risk. Both you and your cousin are at risk for very different reasons."

With that said Madam LeRue, with her tight dark brown bun and sharp brown eyes spoke directly to Aunt Petunia. "Dr. Meriweather is adamant in her disapproval of releasing Harry to you and your family. She is being over ruled in this case, but Harry Potter must be brought in for regular checkups to ensure his health improves."

Harry was in a state of wonder as the social worker's lip curled back as she silently snarled at his aunt. "Rest assured if the health of either boy does not improve they will both be removed from your custody."

Madam LeRue was speaking to him again about the standards of care he should expect from his aunt and uncle. He was only half listening. Harry was in a kind of daze and he was so very sure he was dreaming or dead.

Eventually Dr. Meriweather returned and ushered everyone out so she could take care of her patient in peace.

"I want you to memorize this number Harry." the doctor said after she waited for Harry to stop looking so stunned. She handed him a little business card with her name on it. On the back was a scrawled phone number. "That's my personal phone number. If anything happens, and I mean anything," She looked at Harry very sternly then. "You call me. I became a doctor to save and heal children. I should not have to save them from their family."

How many days had it been since Aunt Marj had let her dog chase Harry? Two days? Three? He couldn't even remember anymore. The world was a blur to him and there were so many things he couldn't stop thinking about.

The biggest thing was why Officer Shelly's uniform was so very different from Office Collin's. He knew he should probably be thinking about how scared his aunt had looked when the social worker had threatened to take him and Dudley away, or why he hadn't been registered anywhere.

But the uniforms! It was like someone was dangling the secret of the universe right in front of him, but he couldn't quite reach.

Harry wasn't released for another three days, at the insistence of Dr. Meriweather who Harry grew to like. She had a soft laugh and liked the color green just like Harry.

The woman had a calming affect on those around her and that soft smile of hers only ever vanished when dealing with people like Harry's Aunt and Uncle.

When Harry was released both Dr. Meriweather and Madam LeRue were there to reinforce the fact that they could very easily ruin the lives of the Dursley's.

Harry could see how difficult all this was for his uncle. His aunt was perpetually pale and she had developed a small twitch in her shoulder. His uncle though was red in his face when he looked at Harry.

Normally Harry would expect a slap or a kick when his uncle was that angry looking, but instead he turned and stormed away. Harry's aunt mumbled it was time to go so Harry followed.

When they arrived at number 4 residence Harry was sure he would be locked into his cupboard. When he went to go there his aunt grabbed his shoulder. She snatched her hand away like she'd been burned.

"You're in the guest room." She looked pained as she said it. "Go. I'll bring your dinner up to you."

His aunt looked genuinely afraid, but Harry had no idea why. Was she afraid of his uncle? That couldn't be right. Was she really so afraid of Madam LeRue and her threat to take away both he and Dudely?

Now that Harry could believe. Dudely was his aunt's whole world. If she lost him, Harry was pretty sure his aunt Petunia would have a heart attack and die.

Harry's new room was the old guest room. There were technically two guest rooms, but this one was next to Dudely's room and had quite a few of his broken toys scattered around.

It wouldn't be until much later, when he went to his therapists office for his first meeting with the doctor, that he would learn that his aunt and uncle hadn't even looked for him when he'd gone missing for two days. It had been their neighbor, Arabella Figg, that had reported Harry being missing.

It took Harry nearly two weeks before he felt strong enough to attempt to visit Tom. He'd tried a few days after arriving home, but he'd fainted. Luckily he had been in his new bed and hadn't gotten hurt at all.

So two weeks after he was given his new room in his relatives home Harry wished to go and be with his Tom.

"Harry!"

Arms were instantly around Harry when he opened his eyes and found himself in Tom's room in Wool's Orphanage.

Harry grinned in excitement and relief. "Tom!" His arms came up and he hugged the other boy as hard as his little arms could.

The two stayed like that for some time before Tom reluctantly let go of Harry.

"What happened after I left?" Harry asked curiously as the two sat down on Tom's bed.

"L-let's not talk about that."

The hesitation on Tom's voice worried Harry and he frowned up at his friend. "Tom?"

The older boy sighed and just reached over to pull Harry into his lap so he could continue holding him. "Everyone's convinced you've been kidnapped. I told them that when I went to get your food you vanished." which the truth, mostly. "Officer Collins is sure you've been kidnapped. I...I haven't told them otherwise."

Officer Collins! "Tom! Tom I have so much to tell you!"

Harry launched into his tale about everything that had happened in the past few weeks. He told him about how a random woman had found him, about Dr. Meriweather and Madam LeRue. Harry told Tom about how if he and his cousin weren't taken care of, properly, they would be taken away.

"Good." That was the only time Tom interrupted Harry's story. He would have rather Harry be removed from that household immediately, but adults were weird and never seemed to do the right thing when it mattered.

Harry ended his story with how he had a real room, even if the bed was Dudely's old bed and creaked badly. His clothes were still hand me down's from his cousin, but he had a few new shirts that his Aunt had hurriedly bought him to give him in the hospital.

He also told Tom that he ate a lot more. "At least twice a day now, but I have to eat in my room most of the time."

It was better than being beaten and starved.

The situation still wasn't ideal and Tom still wanted to find a way to keep Harry from going back, but after the scare they'd had weeks ago, with Harry growing weak and coming close to death, Tom knew he couldn't force the issue.

"Oh! Tom!"

Tom was shaken from his thoughts when harry grabbed onto the front of his shirt to get his attention. "You know Officer Collin's? His uniform is really different from Officer Shelly's!" He tried to sit up and get out of Tom's lap, but the older boy shook his head and held onto Harry.

Harry huffed softly, but he didn't fight it. "And while I was in the hospital I realized some stuff. The cars here are super different from the cars at home." He frowned and wrinkled his nose. "They kinda remind me of old time shows on my aunt and uncle's tele."

Tom jolted at that. In the two years he and Harry had known each other Tom had never known his family had owned a television. They were expensive and usually only upper class families could afford them.

The two spent a couple hours talking before Harry started feeling tired. There was a tug in Tom's chest and he knew Harry had to go back. Harry had started to look rather pale.

"Harry..." Over the course of their talk Tom had developed a theory that he was ready to test. "What's the date?"

Harry smiled brightly at Tom thinking it was some sort of game. "November 16th silly."

"And the year?"

That made Harry pause, but he answered easily enough. "1984."

And then Harry was gone.

Tom was left in a state of shock and disbelief.

His Harry.

His smart, happy, wonderful Harry.

Was from the future.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own it.

A/N: Tumblr: Ethrildragon. It exists.

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 4: Growing Up

Tom was stunned speechless.

"1984."

Harry's voice rang through Tom's mind. He had started to suspect that the two of them lived in two different times, what with the few strange references Harry made and the strange clothing designs he wore, but Tom hadn't expected an almost 50 year difference! It was 1933 for him!

So how in the world was Harry traveling almost 50 years into the past?

It made sense now though why Harry couldn't stay. Whatever supernatural force that allowed the boy to come back wasn't strong enough to keep Harry in the past. That power fed off of Harry and weakened him the longer he stuck around.

And since they had already proven Harry couldn't take anything with him into the future it wouldn't be possible for Tom to go with Harry next time.

The entire situation felt hopeless.

"No." Tom growled at himself as he snapped himself out of that depressive thought process. They would figure something out! It would just require study and experimentation on their part.

At least Harry's situation had improved. It wasn't perfect and Tom was sure Harry's relatives would fall back into their abusive ways, but for the time being Harry was safe.

Tom kept telling himself during the week he waited for Harry to return that he was safe. Each and every day that passed and Harry didn't visit Tom would remind himself that Harry was alright and not dead in a ditch somewhere far into the future.

When Harry finally did appear again Tom felt nothing but relief.

At first glance Harry looked healthy, but when Tom reached out to pull his smaller friend into a hug he flinched.

"What's wrong?" Tom asked with a deep frown as Harry tried to hide his reaction. When the green eyed boy didn't at first answer Tom took him by the shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes.

Harry bit at his lip and tried to look anywhere but at Tom. He was asked again what had happened and Harry reluctantly replied.

"Dudley." Tom had to wait for a moment while Harry took a deep breath. "He tried to push me down the stairs. Twice. And he's been putting tacks in my bed." There were other things, which Harry hesitantly listed ranging vicious pinches to tripping him up while out and about.

His aunt and uncle technically weren't abusing him anymore, but they weren't doing anything about his cousin harming him. When Harry had threatened to call the social worker Dudley had spat at him and told him that they wouldn't do anything; that they wouldn't believe Harry that Dudley was bullying him.

Other than a few cuts and bruises Harry didn't have any obvious injuries. With how quickly he healed anything small would be gone by the time someone came by to investigate.

"I have an idea." Tom told Harry after the boy was done with listing off everything that had happened. "We're going to make you stronger."

Tom nodded. His slid his hands from Harry's shoulders and then pulled him into a hug. "Strong enough so you can take things with you. Strong enough to stay here longer." And the best way to get someone stronger was to train and practice.

The older boy had been thinking about it a great deal while Harry had been gone. Being as smart as he was with perfect recall Tom was able to remember just how many times Harry had traveled into the past and for how long.

The pattern was obvious. Over time Harry had been steadily visiting more often and staying for longer times. If they could get the younger boy strong enough than maybe, just maybe, they could have him stay in the past.

Harry looked up at Tom with his big green eyes filled with complete trust and admiration.

"How are we gonna do that?" Harry asked curiously. "And why do I need to be stronger?"

Tom mentally smacked himself. Harry was smart, but it wasn't like he could read Tom's mind! He was sure Harry didn't even know that he was travelling through time itself. Harry was younger than him and the age difference played a part in both their thinking processes.

Should he tell him though? Harry would probably figure it out sooner or later on his own.

"Harry," Tom cleared his throat and pulled himself away from the smaller boy. "I think you're travelling back in time to me."

The time traveler tilted his head in thought. As impossible as it seemed traveling through time made the most sense in the child's mind. It was either that or he was having a very, VERY, real dream.

"How do we get me stronger though?" Harry pressed.

"I've put a lot of thought into it." Tom explained as he went and grabbed a feather he'd found in the park a few days ago. "There are two ways I think. The first being you visit more often for longer periods of time. The second," he handed the feather over to Harry then. "Is for you to take something with you."

With a small pout Harry took the feather. "We tried that though. The book never came with me."

"Feathers are smaller and lighter, so maybe it'll be easier to take." Harry tried to hand the feather back, but Tom shook his head. "Try going back now and take the feather with you. Then try to come back."

Harry screwed up his face, his nose wrinkling as he frowned. Up until then he'd never willingly traveled back to the Dursleys; it had always been forced. If Tom wanted him to try though, Harry would try. He'd do anything for Tom.

"Ok." His voice shook a little as he held the feather close to his chest.

Tom almost sighed in relief when harry agreed to do as asked. He knew if he had to Tom could control Harry and make him go, like he had controlled Officer Collins to get him to leave, but just the idea of using his weird power on Harry made Tom feel awful.

"But, um," Tom had to fight not to chuckle at how big Harry's eyes were and how utterly adorable he looked just then. He looked so small and confused, his big green eyes looking up at Tom with such trust and adoration. "How do I go back?"

"You know that tugging feeling?" Tom waited until his little friend nodded. "Maybe focus on that feeling?"

Tom held his breath as he watched his Harry close his eyes to focus.

Silence stretched between the two boys as they waited for something to happen. After what felt like an eternity, Harry was gone.

The feather fluttered down from where it had been held and landed on the floor of Tom's room.

A few minutes later Harry returned, tears in his eyes and his hands behind his back. "I'm sorry Tom!" he quickly exclaimed once he was back.

Tom reached out with a small sigh and picked the feather up. "Try again. Now that you know you can go back and forth when you want focus on holding onto the feather."

Harry took the feather and he looked at it with a wince. He wanted to make Tom happy, but he really wasn't sure if he could do this. He ran his fingers over feather a few times before holding it to his chest again.

It took a few tries before something actually did happen. Only top of the feather, which had been outside of Harry's hands, fell to the ground.

It took longer for Harry to come back and when he did he was out of breath and paler than before.

But he looked so very proud of himself as he held up the feather half he had been able to take with him back to his own time.

"Very good Harry." Tom smiled and ran his fingers through Harry's messy black hair. "It's a good first step."

With how tired Harry had gotten from going back and forth Tom decided that training could be done for the day. Harry had just proven that he could take things with him to the future and it gave them both a great deal of hope.

With each passing year after that the two worked together to become stronger with their strange powers. Tom had known he could influence people and make them do what he wanted when he focused hard enough, but after a great deal of experimentation and manipulation he figured out how to control those around him with barely a thought.

It was a useful skill whenever Harry visited and they didn't want anyone to remember him being around. It was still believed that Harry had been kidnapped.

When Tom had turned 8 both he and Harry had discovered they could speak to and understand snakes. The two boys had stumbled upon a couple garter snakes that had been arguing in the park. It seemed like fate had brought the boys to the snakes as each snake bonded with one of the boys.

It wasn't until Tom was 10 and Harry was 6 that the younger boy was able to take his snake, Ladon, with him to the future. Harry still couldn't take Tom, but they were both glad Harry was strong enough to take another living creature along so he wouldn't be alone with his horrid family.

Harry was still being abused, but it was carefully concealed and both his aunt and uncle were careful not to leave marks. Harry's cousin had discovered a passion for boxing and Dudley's favorite practice target was, of course, Harry.

Dudley only ever hit him hard enough to leave bruises when they were in school during training so that the coach could be the witness. When Dr. Meriweather had seen Harry's black eye from Dudley a note from his coach had been produced to prove it had been a 'training accident'. The good doctor was not convinced, but there wasn't much she could do.

Harry was strong enough after years of training that he was able to visit Tom every night and stay over during the weekends. No one ever knew where he was going, and his family didn't really care, but with Harry in such decent health no one questioned it.

The Dursley's would just say Harry was off with a friend on the weekends when Madame LeRue would ask. Harry would always confirm since he and Tom figured it would be safer to just keep the traveling to themselves.

Before the boys realized it the summer of 1938. It was the summer after Tom had turned 11. School had just come to an end and Harry was so excited to be able to spend more time with his best friend. Harry had made a deal with his aunt and uncle that he could be gone whenever he wanted and for however long he wanted so long as he told Madam LeRue he was being treated well.

With the deal struck Harry had packed up a few things into his backpack and left for the week. He and Tom were sure he would be able to stay for longer, but they didn't want to tire Harry out too quickly. They had a whole summer together to enjoy.

"Tom!"

Back in Tom's room in the past a second bed had been setup for Harry to sleep on during his stay. Tom had been carefully manipulating the memories of everyone at the orphanage over the last couple months in preparation for Harry's arrival.

Just as time traveling wore Harry down, controlling many people for long periods of time tired Tom. So instead of controlling everyone, Tom had changed the memories of everyone around them so that instead of seeing Harry Potter, the orphanage would see a young boy named Hadrian Smith.

The two had been planning for their summer vacation since Tom's birthday that winter.

"Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon agreed just like you said they would!" Harry said excitedly as he set his bag on his bed and went over to where Tom was sitting at his desk.

With a smile and a soft chuckle Tom picked Harry up and held him in his lap. Despite Harry eating regularly he was still a scrawny and short boy.

"What're we doing first?"

Tom did his best to keep his expression as neutral as possible. "What makes you think we're doing anything?"

"ToooOoom!" Harry whined as he leaned against Tom as hard as he could. "You SAID you had lots of stuff planned for this summer!"

It was a struggle for Tom not to start snickering as Harry pouted up at him with his big green eyes and his bottom lip sticking out cutely. The younger boy was just too adorable for his own good.

"Oh fine!" Tom practically dumped Harry out of his lap as he stood up. "Don't be such a baby. Come on."

In all honesty Tom did have a great many things planned for them to do during the summer. With his control of Mrs. Cole and the other adults in the orphanage Tom had been able to make everything practically perfect.

Once he got control of his power, life in the orphanage had gotten much better. Even the other kids were being nicer to him, for the most part. Mrs. Cole didn't drink as much so the money she normally spent on booze went towards things the orphanage actually needed. Local stores and businesses were donating more to the orphanage so all the kids had newer clothing. Tom had even been able to get rid of a few of the bullies by having families adopt them.

Honestly Tom would have been happy to just make his own life better in the orphanage, but Harry had pleaded with him to include the other children. Tom had at first thought it would take a lot more energy to change things for so many children, but he found that whatever things he changed for himself had a ripple effect and would eventually help the others as well.

There were times when his powers didn't quite work on people, but those sorts weren't difficult to avoid. Tom just did what he could with them when he needed too.

A tug at his shirt sleeve pulled Tom out of his musings and he let out a small huff at the frown Harry was giving him. "Oh alright. We're going to the park today." He slipped his arm up so that he could take Harry's hand in his. "You have Ladon yes?"

With a smile the smaller boy reached into his pocket only to lift it out moments later with his little garter snake wrapped around his wrist.

Harry didn't even have to ask Tom if he had Ophion with him. The other snake was wrapped around Tom's neck, his favorite place to stay.

The park was probably their second favorite place to be, the first being the beach with the cave they'd found years ago. The park though had one giant tree that the two always had fun climbing. Harry was the faster climber despite his smaller size.

As soon as the tree was in sight Harry let out a happy yell and raced for it. Tom took off after him, but before he could even warn the smaller boy to be careful Harry was pulling himself into the lowest of the branches.

"Can't catch me!" Harry called out as he began climbing like the monkey he probably was.

If Harry had been anyone else Tom would have sneered and refused. But Harry? Harry was special. Harry was Tom's and the older boy would always follow and protect what was his.

So Tom jumped up and grabbed the branch above him, pulling himself up just to chase after the black haired boy that was already half way up the tree.

The two climbed higher and higher until they made it to the final branches that could handle their shared weight. Once there grabbed Harry and pulled him over so that the two of them were leaning against the trunk of the tree so they could look out at the buildings around the park in comfort.

"Do you ever wonder what our lives would have been like if we hadn't met?" Harry asked after several long minutes of companionable silence.

Tom winced and he nodded hesitantly after a moment. "I don't like to think about it, but it has crossed my mind."

In the 4 years since Harry had appeared sobbing and hiding in the park, Tom's life had gotten so much better. Before Harry the older boy hadn't known at all what it was like to be cared for or even loved. Would Tom have ever found someone to be close to and care about the way he did for Harry? Would he still be alone and called a freak by the other children in the orphanage if Harry had never come along?

And what about Harry? If the younger and smaller boy had never found his way into the past would he still be living in the cupboard under the stairs? Tom hated to think about it, but he worried that if the two hadn't met Harry would have died early in his young life.

"Let's not dwell on it."

Harry hummed softly in agreement. He only ever thought about what his life could have been like during late nights when he was locked in his room back at the Dursley's. It was a good reminder to be thankful for what he did have.

Life for the two boys during that first week in the summer was the best either had had in years. The orphanage couldn't afford to give each child a large allowance, but Tom had been saving up for some time. Between what money he'd been saving and what the orphanage had for expenses for trips Tom had figured out exactly what he and Harry could afford to do. Two trips to the beach were planned during the summer and Tom and Harry were given permission to visit London by themselves.

For the first week he and Harry visited the shops closest to the orphanage, mostly to look at things and figure out what they needed. Mostly the two spent time in the park. Whenever Tom could weasel in a few math or reading lessons for Harry, he would. Harry wasn't too happy with the lessons, but Tom persisted.

When the first week was over Harry returned to his time in order to regain his strength. Anchoring himself in the past for an entire week had been tiring, but a day or two of rest at the Dursley's would fix that.

Harry returned as soon as he felt fully recovered.

The moment he appeared in Tom's room though something felt off. Tom looked fine where he was sitting on his bed reading, but that wasn't the direction the feeling was coming from.

With a frown Harry wandered over to the bedroom window and looked out. There was a sort of oppressive presence heading straight towards the orphanage. It felt both alien and familiar at the same time and the presence left Harry feeling panicky.

"You're shaking."

Sure enough when Tom pointed it out Harry found that his entire body was shaking. He could feel Tom's arms going around his shoulders, but Harry couldn't seem to get his shaking under control.

"Something's coming." Harry whispered as he turned in Tom's arms so he could hug onto the older boy. Whatever the thing was that was coming their way was powerful.

Tom didn't like how badly his Harry was shaking. The last time he'd seen Harry this close to a panic attack had been that Halloween years ago. His little friend had gotten close to panic attacks, but not like this.

"Whatever it is," Tom started to say softly. "It's dangerous if it's got you like this."

Harry knew Tom well enough to know what his next thought would be. "I'm not going back to the Dursley's! I'm not leaving you alone here with whatever it is!" The shaking in Harry's shoulders lessened as he became more determined to stay by Tom's side against whatever force was headed their way.

Tom huffed through his nose and grumbled mentally over Harry's stubbornness. He knew Harry wanted to stay because Harry cared, but Tom was quickly analyzing both the pros and cons of having the younger boy stick around.

The two of them were stronger when they were together. Two quick minds were better than one. Harry might see something that Tom could miss and vice versa.

On the other hand Harry was much younger and made an easier target. There was also the chance that whatever was coming could be vastly more powerful than the two of them and Harry would be at risk. The last thing Tom ever wanted was to put Harry into a dangerous situation.

Then again if he sent Harry home how would the younger boy know when to come back? What if Harry returned in the middle of a fight?

There were too many variables that Tom didn't have and it concerned him. The best thing to do would be to keep Harry close until the last moment.

"If things go south," Tom took Harry by the shoulders and held him away so that the boy could see just how serious he was. "Promise me you'll leave." Harry looked hesitant so Tom shook the younger boy a bit. "Promise! Give me your word!"

Hesitantly Harry nodded his head and looked away.

Tom made another quick decision and reached up to tap at the black snake that was wrapped around his neck. "Take Ophion as well."

The younger boy wanted to deny Tom that request, but the hard look in Tom's eyes stopped Harry. Instead he nodded and held out a hand for the black snake.

Ophion mumbled grumpily as he slipped from Tom's neck and was passed over to Harry. The younger boy had a smaller neck, but at least he ran hotter than his own boy's neck.

"Good."

Silence stretched between the two boys. Harry shivered suddenly again and he looked out the window. A tall elderly man in a strange purple suit was walking up the path towards the orphanage's front door.

"It's him." Harry whispered as he turned to bury himself into Tom's chest again. "He's the one with all that power."

Tom leaned over Harry to look out the window. He only just saw the silver haired man before he left the sight of their window.

After taking two deep breaths Tom gently pushed Harry away from him. "Go sit on your bed. Don't make eye contact. Don't bring attention to yourself at all."

Tom's voice was cold and calculating, but Harry knew that was just a cover. Harry knew Tom was worried and afraid so the younger boy quickly did as he was told.

The time it took for the old man to enter the orphanage and make his way upstairs felt like an eternity. Harry had grabbed one of his children's books to pretend to read and mostly so he would have something in his hands.

Finally there was a knock at the door to their bedroom and Martha came in. "There's someone here to see you Tom." She said kindly before turning a warm smile to Harry. "Why don't you and I go find some sweets Hadrian?"

Tom liked this idea. It got Harry out of the room, but kept him close enough that they would be able to sense if the other were in danger. So when Harry glanced at him for help Tom nodded minutely.

"Coming Miss Martha."

Harry took the offered hand Martha was holding out and followed her out. When he passed by the old man in the gaudy purple suit Harry kept his eyes down on the floor. He was small enough that such a gesture would only be construed as him being shy.

"Hello Tom." Those were the last two words Harry could hear before the old man closed the door behind him with a firm hand.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: *crickets*

A/N: *muppet holding a tumblr sign* Ethrildragon

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 5: You're a Wizard

As much as Tom wanted Harry to be by his side he knew the younger boy would be better off with Martha. If something really were to happen and Tom needed Harry then he could easily call for him through the strange link in their powers.

"I am Albus Dumbledore."

"You're a doctor, aren't you?" Tom's voice was controlled, even, as he guessed at why this man was there.

Although life in the orphanage had gotten better and the adults had stopped 'fearing' Tom as they had before Harry had arrived in his life, there were still occasions Mrs. Cole would tell Tom that if strange things continued to happen she would call for a doctor to look at him. The threat no longer scared Tom as it had years ago; not when he could simply wipe Mrs. Cole's memory and change it to something else.

The man, Dumbledore he had called himself, looked pensive before answering. "No Tom. I am a professor.

Tom's eyes narrowed in suspicion then. Why would a professor come visit him? He'd been doing very well in school and had been achieving top marks in all of his classes so there was a chance his school had gotten in contact with a private academy or something. But that was highly unlikely seeing as how Tom was an orphan and children without parents rarely received special educations.

"I don't believe you." Tom sat up a little straighter as he looked squarely at the so called professor. "People think I'm different."

Over the years Albus had visited many children that were a great deal like Tom. "Perhaps they are right?" He inquired gently.

Albus had had this conversation with muggle born children so many times he knew what to say without even thinking about it. He was good at speaking with children, calming them and comforting them about their abilities. When he had become a professor Albus had immediately volunteered to be the one to search out magical muggle born children and to introduce them to the magical world.

He had found that if he were the first magical person they had ever met, muggle born children were more likely to give him their loyalty and to admire him.

"I'm not mad!" Tom's eyes sparked with indignation even as his voice stayed calm.

An old fear crept its way into Tom's mind; one where he was whisked away to some padded cell where doctors would poke and prod him until he really was mad.

Tom quickly pushed that fear away. He would not allow anyone to do such things to him. He had power and with Harry's help Tom had gained a great deal of control with that power. If backed into a corner Tom was sure he could take out this strange man that had caused his dear Harry so much distress.

"Hogwarts-" Albus could see something in Tom's eyes as the boy claimed to not be mad. "Is not a place for mad people. Hogwarts is a school. A school of magic."

As he spoke Albus kept a close eye on Tom's reaction. The boy's eyes had gone slightly wider at his explanation, but otherwise the boy was implicitly neutral. Albus was tempted, oh so tempted, to delve into Tom's mind to really get a feel for the boy, but he held himself back for the time being.

"You can do things, can't you Tom?" Honestly there was no real reason for Albus to look into the boy's mind. He was just a boy that had an inkling as to what he could do and understood that there were others in the world that did not have his gifts. "Things other children can't."

It was a trap. Tom knew it had to be a trap. There was no way that this Dumbledore was a professor and there was no way he was from a school of magic. Then again...with what he and Harry could do magic seemed to be the perfect explanation.

So, very slowly, Tom nodded his head an inch to show that yes he knew what Albus Dumbledore was talking about.

"I can make things move without touching them." It wasn't a skill Tom used as much as he would have liked; Harry disliked it whenever Tom tried to steal using that ability. "I can make animals do what I want without training them." Memories of all the times he'd made dogs go away when they got too close to Harry came to mind. "I can make people forget what they were doing when they try to hurt me."

When he'd been younger, before Harry had shown his displeasure for it, Tom had made bad things happen to the bullies. After he'd gained control over his powers Tom had changed how he went about punishing his aggressors. Instead of making bad things happen he simply changed their memories and controlled them.

"Who are you?"

Albus finally gave in to his want to look into Tom's mind. He only stayed at the surface so he only saw the fleeting memories that arose every time Tom spoke. He didn't see anything menacing there; just a boy protecting and caring for a dear friend. Something that could be exploited.

"I'm like you Tom." Albus lowered his voice for the next part. "I'm different."

Tom was a powerful boy for his age, there was no doubt about that, but Albus didn't see anything overtly bad or dark. What he did see was the same thing he usually found with muggle born children and it bored Albus.

"Prove it." He didn't know why he made the demand, but Tom did know he wanted evidence that the old man wasn't just some doctor trying to lull him into a false sense of security. If Harry had been there he probably could have thought of a better way to ask for the evidence.

Only a second after his demand the boy's wardrobe burst into flames that climbed all the way up to the ceiling. Tom's eyes went wide, but he felt like he was stuck to his seat so he couldn't rush to the wardrobe to save his and Harry's belongings.

"I think there's something in your wardrobe trying to get out Tom." Albus nonchalantly told the gaping boy.

The power that had been holding Tom to his seat lifted and the boy stood up and went over to his wardrobe. Inside was a rickety crate holding all the books he'd nicked from his school, the library, and even from the orphanage.

"Thievery is not tolerated at Hogwarts."

Albus had been expecting to find knick knacks and trinkets, not a bunch of books. A couple were picture books that small children learned to read from, but the rest were advance for an eleven year old boy. He was sure that Tom would be placed in Ravenclaw if his collection was anything to go by.

The boy was smart then, which would make it more difficult for Albus to control the boy. Then again Albus shouldn't make a judgement too early. He knew plenty of Gryffindors that were smart; he had been a Gryffindor after all. Still...an intelligent boy was not easily fooled.

"At Hogwarts you will not only be taught how to use magic, but how to control it."

After handing the young orphan the acceptance letter to Hogwarts, Albus turned to leave.

"Where will I get my school things?" Tom asked suddenly as the older man was just about to head down the hallway towards the stairs. "And how will I pay for them?" There was another thing on Tom's mind to ask, but that voice that sometimes whispered things to himself and to Harry told him to stay silent.

"Hogwarts has a fund for students that are less fortunate." Albus pointed to the letter that was in Tom's hand. "Your letter has all the instructions. If you would like someone can come and escort you to Diagon Ally where you can get your supplies."

Tom shook his head. "I can go myself. I do not want to be a bother." More like he wanted to take Harry with him. An adult would just make things difficult.

The boy was definitely too intelligent to fall for Albus' normal manipulation methods. He would need to tread carefully with his controlling of Tom Riddle.

"If that is what you want." Albus jotted something down and a little slip of paper which flew to Tom. "Go to the Leaky Cauldron in London. The barkeep there, also Tom, will help you into Diagon Ally."

And with that Albus turned one final time to leave.

When he was down on the first floor something made him pause to look into the dinning area where many tables were setup. There were a few children there, but there was one that caught his momentary interest. His back was to Albus, but the old man was sure he could feel magic coming from the boy. Powerful magic and a great deal of it.

The boy was much too young to go to Hogwarts, but Albus would need to keep an eye on him for when the time came for him to get his own acceptance letter.

"Excuse me," He mumbled as Mrs. Cole, the guardian and owner of the orphanage, walked past. "Who is that boy?"

Mrs. Cole glanced past Albus Dumbledore and then smiled a little. "That's little Hadrian Smith. He's probably Tom's only friend." She let out a small huff, her arms coming up to cross over her chest. "Little Hadrian is a blessing. If not for him I think Tom would have never come out of his shell...strange things still happen, but at least they aren't as violent."

Now that was information that Albus could use so he stored it away. He wanted to go to Hadrian and look into his mind, but the boy had his back to him and he was sure if he spoke with Hadrian it would cause problems.

"Good day Mrs. Cole."

As soon as the man was gone and far enough away down the street Harry spun around in his seat and darted out of the dining room. He'd been on edge the entire time the older man was upstairs with Tom and it'd taken everything in him not to just go and spy on the two.

"No running!"

"Sorry Mrs. Cole." Harry had been running, but he quickly slowed his pace when he'd been caught. As soon as he was upstairs and away from the eyes of adults he was running once again.

Tom had taken a seat on his bed after Albus had left. The unopened letter was still in his hands. His brows were scrunched together as he stared at the envelope in contemplation. Should he open it and learn more about this so called school that he had been invited too?

"Tom!"

A small body barreled its way into the room and before he could even turn to see who it was, he was knocked flat onto the bed with a heavy body on his chest.

Small hands grabbed Tom's cheeks and then lifted one arm and then the other looking for any injuries that might have happened.

"I'm fine Harry." There was only one person that would be this frantic over whether or not Tom was hurt.

Harry wasn't completely convinced, but he stopped his examination of the person he cared most for. He crawled off of Tom and sat down on the bed as close to Tom as he could get without actually being in the boy's lap. When Tom was sitting up again Harry hugged him.

With a small sigh Tom returned the hug before showing him the letter.

"What is it?" Harry asked as he turned the envelope over in his hands to look at the crest in the wax seal on the back. His thumb went over the seal brushing over each of the 4 little animals in the seal.

"A school apparently." Tom licked his lips quickly. "A school of magic."

Harry looked at his friend sharply before using his thumbnail to break the wax seal from the envelope. "Magic?" Just because Harry was littler than Tom didn't mean the older boy could tease him with something like magic.

Even as Harry looked at Tom with a big frown and disbelieving eyes, the older boy simply nodded in all seriousness.

"So...magic..." Harry said slowly as he dug his thumb nail under the wax seal and flipped open the envelope. "A school of magic. Do you think they'll know about time traveling?" He asked hopefully as he tugged the folded papers out of the envelope.

Tom could see that Harry was quickly warming up to the entire idea of a magic school. "I'm sure they do."

His younger friend brought up a good point though. The two of them had been trying to figure out their abilities on their own for years. This was their chance to learn magic from people that actually knew what they were doing. He and Harry could figure out a way to keep Harry in the past!

"Wow Tom! Look at this supply list!" Harry had handed over the actual acceptance letter to Tom for the older boy to read. Harry himself was much more interested in all the neat things that Tom would be needing to get for school.

The letter was a simple reiteration of what the Dumbledore man had said. It also included a time and place for where he would need to catch the train going to the school.

"We'll go to London tomorrow then."

Harry looked up from the supply list in surprise. "Tomorrow?"

With a smile Tom reached over and snatched the rest of the paperwork from his younger friend. "Might as well. A trip to London had already been planned for this week for supplies. Tomorrow is as good a day as any."

The fact that they would get to go to London so soon left Harry feeling excited and jittery. It took Tom taking Harry to the park to have him run around to wear him out enough that the boy actually slept that night.

In the morning Harry was up long before Tom. When the smaller boy saw that his friend was still asleep though Harry tried to go back to sleep. The sun wasn't even in the sky yet, the horizon just barely becoming lighter. After a little while of tossing around in his bed Harry finally gave up. As softly as he could Harry crawled out of his bed and climbed into Tom's.

When Tom didn't move or seem to wake up Harry slipped under the blankets so he could snuggle up next to his friend. Being so close to Tom helped to lull Harry back to sleep.

The moment Harry had awoken in his own bed Tom had slipped out of sleep as well. He was a light sleeper on the best of nights. Sometimes Harry had nightmares that left the smaller boy crying softly and shaking. On those nights Tom always woke up to comfort Harry.

But this time Harry wasn't having a nightmare. Instead the boy just couldn't sleep. Tom slammed his eyes closed when he heard Harry slip out of his own bed. He waited until Harry was tucked under Tom's own blankets before opening his eyes.

The smaller boy fell asleep quickly against Tom. As soon as Tom was sure Harry was fast asleep once more he opened his eyes to stare at his younger friend.

There was something about Harry that made Tom's heart beat harder in his chest. The boy's lips were parted as he breathed softly. His hair was even more wild and unruly.

With gentle fingers Tom reached up and brushed Harry's hair from his face.

He'd seen it years ago so the sight of the scar upon little Harry's forehead wasn't a surprise at all. Tom traced the jagged line with a thumb and felt the familiar tingle across his skin as he did so.

Tom must have dozed off at some point. He found his shoulder being nudge and shaken by a very awake Harry.

"What time is it?" Tom mumbled as he sat up. He was the morning person, not Harry, and yet it was the younger boy that was excited and wide awake.

"7! Mrs. Cole says breakfast is ready and we'll be going to London after that!"

Harry had gone to London now and then with his aunt and uncle, usually when his babysitter wasn't available or when Harry needed clothes that he couldn't just get from Dudley. So a trip, especially with Tom, was exciting for the young boy.

The trip into London was mostly uneventful for the most part, but once there Tom and Harry were taken to the side by Mrs. Cole.

"Just in case you miss the ride back." She stated as she handed Tom a pouch with some money. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough for an emergency.

To say Tom was surprised was an understatement. Rarely did the older woman ever do anything like this without some sort of prodding on Tom's part.

Mrs. Cole's lips pursed a little and she looked away back towards the others that had come along. "I am responsible for your safety. Both of you." She said nothing else as she turned and left the two boys to what they needed to do.

Tom looked at the money pouch they had been given and then shrugged. He and Harry had already come up with a plan on how to get back to the orphanage so they could stay out later. This extra money would just be helpful.

"Got the directions?" Harry asked as he adjusted the bag he had slung over his shoulder. Both boys had bags since they would be getting quite a bit.

Sure enough Tom pulled out the slip of paper that Dumbledore had given him.

It took awhile, since London was so huge and it wasn't like the Leaky Cauldron had been setup to be noticeable, but they eventually found the establishment.

"It looks..." Harry winced a bit and clung to Tom's sleeve as they stood across the street from the Leaky Cauldron.

Tom could only nod. The place looked unappealing and not a place where two young boys, even if one was a preteen, should wander into.

Still they needed to get into Diagon Alley to buy Tom's supplies. So with a deep breath Tom took Harry's hand in his and led him across the street.

Honestly the inside looked as seedy as the outside had. There were only a few people milling around, but all of them had cloaks on and hoods up or were hunched over a mug of beer. The only smile the two boys got was from the bartender who was waving a stick around.

Glasses, mugs, and pitchers were floating around him. Some were being cleaned while others were being filled and sent off to tables or up the stairs towards the back of the room.

"What can I do fer ye boys?" The bartender asked as he continued to wave the stick in small circles in the air near his head.

Tom cleared his throat and nudged at Harry to get the smaller boy to stop gawking at the floating dishware. "We need to get to Diagon Alley." His words were crisp and clear as he straightened up to seem more confident then he secretly felt.

The bartender's grin just broadened. "Gettin yer school supplies I wager! Follow me."

It surprised Tom how quickly the man accepted that two young boys were trying to get into a magical hidden place without even asking any questions. Wasn't the man even remotely concerned that he and Harry could be up to no good?

Children going to Diagon Alley on their own must have been a common occurrence.

The two boys were led out a side door into a rundown little patio with a crooked table and a broken chair. Tom eyed the space suspiciously and held Harry closer despite the boy trying to get a look at what the older man was doing. Tom seriously did not trust all of this and was sure the Dumbledore man would jump out at any moment with doctors to take the two of them away.

Tom's paranoia lifted when suddenly the man before them tapped on the bricks and with a shudder the wall started folding away.

The two boys shared identical looks of wonder and amazement as a busy street filled with people in robes was revealed to them. Each building was a different color and everywhere the two looked there was something new to see.

"Tom look!" An insistent tugging on Tom's sleeve had the older boy looking to where his friend was pointing. A group of kids around their age were walking down the street talking and laughing. What Harry was really pointing at though was the building the other teens had been walking past.

Piles of books were stacked up in the window with just barely enough room to display one or two book titles.

"You need your school books right?" Harry asked as he tugged at their connected hands. "Let's get those first!"

"We have to go to..." Tom looked down at the letter he had pulled out of his pocket. "Gringotts first."

"Gringotts is straight down that way."

Both boys had forgotten about the man standing off to the side. He was still grinning at them, but his smile looked a little more knowing. Like he knew they had never seen so much magic before.

"Thank you sir." Tom thanked the man politely and then tugged Harry forward. He didn't much like how the man was smiling at Harry with that fond smile that almost all adults gave Harry.

Once they were far enough away from the entrance to Diagon Alley the wall closed up. Tom let out a small breath of relief. They had finally made it to Diagon Alley. It was real. Magic was real.

Thankfully for them Gringotts was the most obvious building on the street. It was the biggest and it stood out from the colorful buildings around it with its marble walls. Another thing about the building was it made Harry's skin tingle.

"It feels...strange." Harry mumbled to Tom as the two stepped through the door and into a large echoing room where strange creatures sat behind tall counters.

"Strange...bad?" Tom whispered back as covertly as he could.

The younger boy quickly shook his head. "Strange different."

Harry wasn't shaking or looking nervous like he had when Dumbledore had visited, instead he was looking with interest at the strange creatures sitting behind the counters. His eyes seemed a little glazed over which did worry Tom a little.

"Well then." A voice to down and to the left of Harry had both boys jumping in surprise. Standing there, with a rather disgusted expression, was one of the long eared creatures.

"Follow me." The creature clicked its heals together before turning and slinking away towards a door that was barely visible from the shadows.

The two boys looked at each other with varying degrees of confusion, worry, and curiosity.

An annoyed voice sounded over by the door and the two boys hurried to follow after the creature.

"Protocols must be followed, but I can answer some of your questions." The goblin told them as he led the way down a hallway lined with doors. He snapped his fingers and one of the doors opened to reveal a rather normal looking office. "Before you ask, I know what Harry Potter is."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer:...T_T

A/N: 8D Tumblr: Ethrildragon

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 6: What's in a Name?

"H-How did-"

Tom instantly grabbed Harry and stopped him from going into the office. His senses were on high alert and his power crackled across his skin in warning.

The creature sighed and he practically rolled his eyes. Again he snapped and both boys were dragged forward into the office and seated in the two seats on one side of the desk. The door slammed shut behind them and the air shimmered for a moment along the walls.

"We may now speak in privacy."

"What are you?" Tom demanded coldly. He could see Harry squirming in his seat and Tom knew the other boy was being held down in his seat just as Tom was.

The creature made himself comfortable in the seat across from them and took several long minutes to pour himself tea. Each moment that passed Tom could feel his back tensing further and his hands curled into fists.

"I am a goblin." He stated with a small sneer before sipping at his tea. "You may address me as Gothrack." the goblin set his tea down and steepled his fingers together on his desk. "Harry Potter is a time traveler from 50 years in the future. I cannot tell you how I know this, just that certain plans were put into place in preparation for his arrival here in this time."

Both Tom and Harry were silent, shocked that this creature, this goblin, would know about the time traveling.

Gothrack waited another moment before humming softly in approval to their silence. "Goblins have worked with time travelers many times." He held up a finger to silence Harry's question. "We do this because we do not want time travelers to pull their gold from our vaults. We work with the time travelers so they have access no matter the time period. So long as the gold is kept safe with us."

Greed. Tom could understand the goblin's reasons then. Greed was a very understandable reason to do anything.

Harry on the other hand looked lost and confused. "What plans though? Who made them?"

Gothrack sighed through his nose and lifted a folder that had been sitting on his desk. "Plans to ensure you and Tom are financially secure in the wizarding world from this day forward. I cannot tell you who made them." He handed Tom the folder.

Tom cautiously opened the folder and his eyes went wide as he read the information there. Information on who his mother was and who his father was. Information about his lineage and from whom he was descended from.

"A simple inheritance test will give you, Tom Marvolo Riddle, access to the Slytherin vaults." Gothrack turned back to Harry. "A blood binding spell will allow you, Harry James Potter, to create an anchor in one time so you can stop hopping back and forth."

Even though he was engrossed in the file he was reading, Tom was still listening to Gothrack. "Blood binding?" It sounded dangerous. Anything involving blood usually involved being injured.

"A simple blood binding spell. It will bind the two of you together. You will share your power with each other and create an anchor in this time for Mr. Potter to latch onto." Gothrack snapped his fingers and in the air between Harry and Tom a fragile and wispy looking thread appeared. "You already have a weak bond that has, up to this point, allowed Mr. Potter to travel to you Mr. Riddle. It is not strong enough to keep Mr. Potter here.

"Why are you telling us all this?" Harry asked suddenly as the thread vanished.

Gothrack smiled a bit, something that was very unnerving for the two boys to see. "This is not a fantasy book Mr. Potter. You are not going to be tossed into the world with no knowledge of things and be expected to find a happy ending."

The Goblin's expression became neutral again and he folded his hands in front of him on the desk. "Understand that I can not tell you everything in order to protect the timeline. There are some things you cannot know as those facts could alter what must happen."

As much as Tom disliked secrets being kept from him the stare that Gotharck gave him made Tom slam his mouth closed. It was as if the goblin was just challenging him, daring him, to demand the information.

"What can you tell us?" Harry asked curiously. The power that had been holding them to their seats let up allowing Harry to lean forward eagerly.

Gothrack huffed softly. It was obvious he had been hoping that the two boys wouldn't ask any more questions. "I can tell you that your benefactors have left letters to you with very specific instructions to give you the letters at certain dates." With a wave of his hand a crate appeared on his desk. There was a shimmering lock on the crate. "I can tell you that you, Harry Potter, have two paths to choose from."

"Paths?" Harry asked with a deep frown.

Honestly Gothrack disliked working with children. If they weren't loud and obnoxious, then they were always asking questions.

"The human body was not built to exist in two times." The blank look from Harry and the angry scowl from Tom made Gothrack sigh in annoyance. "Once you have a blood bond, you can either live in this time or in your time, Mr. Potter. You will not be able to jump back and forth the way you do now. You will have to chose."

Tom was the first to realize what it was that Gothrack meant. "He'll stop being able to travel through time." It was a statement of fact rather than a question.

With a nod of his head Gothrack continued. "I cannot make this decision for you, nor can I tell you what will happen with either choice. Just that a choice must be made before the blood binding ritual happens."

"Well the choice is easy." Harry didn't even have to think about it. "Tom is my family. My real family. I can't just abandon him."

"Wait Harry." Tom reached over to stop his friend from accepting anything too quickly. "If we do this now you'll be stuck at the orphanage by yourself while I'm at school. If you don't do the ritual then you can still time travel. You can still visit me while I'm at school."

Gothrack had worked with various time travelers in his life, but never a child time traveler. He knew the rules of what he could and could not say in order to keep the thread of time intact and their world from falling a part. It was why he was the best at this job. But it was always a relief when the time travelers figured things out for themselves. So a small smile cracked in his stern expression and sharp teeth peaked out between his lips.

Tom's mind worked quickly as he considered their options. "Do we have to do the ritual now?" He wanted to make sure of a few things.

"Of course not." Gothrack replied as he stood to open the crate on his desk. He pulled two envelopes out, each marked with a name of one of the boys. "You can have the ritual done whenever you so chose. Although," Again the goblin smirked as he sent Tom a knowing look. "It would be best if done when both of you are of age to attend Hogwarts. 11 is when magic within a wizard starts to stabilize. Also the longer you go without the blood binding ritual, the higher chance side effects will occur."

Over the years whenever Harry had visited he had always appeared wherever Tom was. His friend wasn't forced into a single location. It would make life easier if Harry were to visit Tom while he was attending Hogwarts. The two of them could study together and learn more quickly together. It would also give Harry an advantage when he began school.

"I think we'll wait then." They could handle the side effects or anything else until Harry was 11.

"But Tom-"

Tom let out a small sigh and turned his full attention on Harry. "I know you hate your relatives, but this way you can come with me to Hogwarts. At least on the weekends. And when you turn 11 we'll do the ritual and you can stay here. With me."

As smart as Harry was he was still a child. It took several gentle words and assurances for Tom to win Harry over to the right decision.

"If that matter is settled let us move on to the inheritance tests."

The tests were rather simple and only required a drop of blood from both of them. Sure enough Tom turned out to be the heir of two family lines, Gaunt and Slytherin. As curious as Tom was as to how the money situation worked he held back on asking. If Goblins really were the greedy creatures he suspected they were then Gothrack probably wouldn't tell him about how the withdrawal system would work.

Harry's test revealed several points of interest to Tom. It did say that Harry was the heir to the Potter line, but what intrigued Tom were the obvious blank lines that came after. Seeing those made Tom reexamine his own parchment and sure enough there were a couple blank lines on his own, but not nearly as many as on Harry's.

"Those will fill in as you age." Gothrack told Tom and Harry quickly before Tom could ask about them. "Like the letters your other inheritances will reveal themselves in time."

With those words Gothrack handed the two envelopes over to Tom and Harry. "Open those when you get back to your residence. You will want privacy."

The goblin clapped his hands together once, twice, and the crate vanished. The walls of the room shimmered as whatever spell Gothrack had put up in the beginning came down.

"If you have need of myself or of your vaults just send a letter with my name." The boys would learn more about sending mail via owls later. "Here are the keys to your student vaults. Let us go down and collect your allowances."

The trip down to the vaults was long. The cart the three were in jolted and twisted so much that Harry had to close his eyes and cling to Tom in order to avoid getting sick. Every now and then there were tracks that would split off and shoot off into more caverns and tunnels.

On the way down Harry and Tom learned more about their allowances. The allowances were based off of what the boys would need to live off of for the year, as predetermined by their anonymous benefactors, and they could either take the amount out all at once or in small increments throughout the year.

Gothrack had suggested Harry take just enough to pay for what he would need in the alley as well as enough for whenever he needed to get away from his relatives. Tom decided to take out his entire allowance since he would be stuck at school for almost a year.

The allowance wasn't a small amount. In fact it was enough that Gothrack gave Tom a magic bottomless pouch. Tom, having never imagined he would have that much money ever in his life, didn't know what he'd spend it all on.

As well as the allowance, Tom was given money from the school fund. Gothrack gave the two boys a wicked smile as he handed over the small amount that had been allotted to Tom.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why give this to me?" Tom asked as he slipped the coins into the pouch to join with his own money.

With a sniff Gothrack answered. "Politics. You will learn that Goblins may keep a wizard's gold safe, but we have very little respect for most wizards." He was finishing up writing a few things in his ledgers. "Your benefactors are two of the few to have our respect."

That little tidbit of information peaked Tom's interest. He would need to remember that for future use.

"Now then. If there is nothing else?"

It wasn't like Tom or Harry could ask Gothrack anything else since they were in the main hall where there were many other goblins as well as wizards. So with one last thank you to the goblin the two boys left the bank.

"We have a great deal to think about when we get home." Tom muttered as he led Harry to a little nook against the outside of the bank. "Are you alright?"

Harry quickly nodded his head and smiled winningly up at Tom. "I'm fine Tom! Let's go get your school supplies."

Since the two boys had no idea where to start or which shops to visit first they walked towards the first building that had a bunch of children their age coming in and out of.

As it turned out the first building was Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. After a quick glance around and noticing the prices for several robes Tom knew if he and Harry hadn't had the money they did Tom would have been hard pressed to pay for even one robe.

It was with a lift of his chin and a confident stride that Tom went up to one of the free women that looked like she worked in the shop to ask for assistance.

"New Hogwarts students then?" The kindly woman asked with a broad smile. Her brow raised though when she looked at Harry. "Yer a little on the small side though."

Harry smiled, but hid a bit behind Tom in a bought of shyness that Tom was used too.

"He's my friend. I'm in need of Hogwarts robes." Tom glanced around and made a split second decision. "And a new set of formal robes." He'd seen a sign near the front saying something about formal robes.

This was Tom's chance to start the path to integration into this new world that he and Harry belonged to. He wanted to at least seem like he knew what he was talking about.

The woman smiled and nodded. "It'll be just a few minutes. Quite a few Hogwarts students today so the sizing areas are a little busy." She motioned for Tom and Harry to take seats at comfortable looking benches.

Tom took harry's hand and led him over before Harry could be distracted by anything; like the scraps of fabric that were flying around overhead or the magical tape measure that was zipping around another teen that was older than them.

"Formal robes?" Harry asked very softly as he leaned closer to his friend.

"I do want to look my best when I need to." Tom whispered back as covertly as he could. The confused look on Harry's face was absolutely adorable and innocent. "I suppose I should get...Some other things as well."

He would never boast about it, but Tom was an expert on people watching. He was able to take in minute details that would normally be lost to others. At that moment Tom was definitely using that skill in order to figure out what sorts of clothes would be common place in the wizarding world.

Kids and teenagers tended to wear normal clothing, the kind that he and Harry were wearing, while adults wore long robes and cloaks. Beneath the robes though it looked to be business attire. A shirt was a shirt no matter where a person was from it seemed like.

Tom could probably get away with getting shirts and pants in normal stores with the non wizard money he'd exchanged for at the bank. The robes though he would definitely have to get here.

"This always takes so long." Before either boy could turn to look at the owner of the voice, a third body joined the bench. The boy, looking to be about the same age as Tom, had long platinum blonde hair and striking blue eyes. "Are you here for fittings as well?"

Eyes narrowing ever so slightly, Tom nodded politely. The blonde spoke clearly and concisely; a sure sign he was from the upper crust. Already Tom's mind was working fast on how he could get himself into the good graces of this other boy.

"Tom is! I'm here cause it's boring back home." Harry, ever the naive boy that he was, quickly spoke up before Tom had the chance.

Apparently Harry's small stature and adorable looks made him look younger so the new boy only smiled and held out a hand. Tom let out a breath in relief. A person of noble upraising could have thought Harry rude for yous outburst.

"Abraxas Malfoy, a pleasure to meet you." Since it had been Harry who had spoken first Abraxas shook his hand before Tom's.

"Hadrian Smith." That's the name Harry had in this time and they had decided back at the bank to keep using it.

"Tom Gaunt." As much as Gothrack had been hesitant to agree that Tom should use his maternal last name, it had been decided that Tom would change his name to it. The paperwork with the official name change would be filed within the next couple days.

At the name given Abraxas' eyes widened briefly before he grinned. "Definitely a pleasure."

One of the first things Tom would need to do was find out more about the importance of family names in the wizarding world. Especially with the reaction Malfoy had had.

"Not here with your parents?" Abraxas asked with a hint of jealousy. "Mine left me here for my fittings. Wish they had taken me to Twilfitt and Tatting's instead, but my mother insisted on coming here for my first year. Tradition and all that."

Harry liked Abraxas. He had seemed a bit snobbish at first, but the more the boy spoke the easier it became to warm up to the blonde.

"It's just the two of us today. We can handle a simple thing like shopping." Tom lifted his chin a bit to make himself seem older and mature.

Abraxas groaned and nodded. "I tried telling my mother that, but she simply refused to listen." He rolled his blue eyes dramatically and grinned a bit. "So...which house do you want to get into?"

Tom crossed one leg over the other and held his chin as if thinking. Honestly he had no idea what Abraxas was talking about, but he didn't want to seem like he didn't know what was going on. Luckily Tom was saved from answering as the woman from earlier came over to usher him over to one of the raised areas for measurement.

"What house do you want?" Harry piped up once Tom was gone. Seeing this as his chance to help Tom out Harry decided to weedle as much info as he could out of the boy they had just met.

With a laugh Abraxas leaned back a bit and crossed his arms over his chest smugly. "Slytherin obviously. It's the best house out of all of them. The Malfoy family has almost always been exclusively Slytherin."

Harry leaned forward eagerly at the information.

Thinking that the younger boy was eager to listen to Abraxas speak more, the blonde decided to indulge Harry. "I mean...Ravenclaw is good too, I guess. If you prefer books. Hecate help you if you get into Hufflepuff!" Abraxas gave Harry a knowing eye roll and the younger boy simply nodded quickly. "I suppose Gryffindor is fine too, but it's so full of idiot risk takers and empty blowhards that the good students are lost in the crowd."

Adopting a form of Tom's previous posture, Harry considered the information that Abraxas had given him.

"With a name like Gaunt though I would wager a guess that your friend would end up in Slytherin as well." Abraxas offered as the younger boy turned contemplative.

A thought occured to Abraxas then as he watched the young boy. "Are you related to the Durham Smiths by chance?"

Harry opened his eyes and tilted his head as he looked at Abraxas thoughtfully. "I don't know. There are a lot of 'Smiths'." For all Harry knew he was indeed related to a 'Durham Smith'. All he knew about his family was that his father's side were Potters and that his mother's side were Evans.

Seeing this as logical, especially coming from a young boy like Harry, Abraxas simply nodded. It was always hard to tell what a person's blood purity was when it came to those common names.

"Harry?" Both boys had been so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn't noticed Tom returning. "The seamstress says my robes will be done in a hour or so. We can do the rest of our shopping until then."

With their conversation coming to an end Abraxas sighed dramatically. "Is there a chance I could talk the two of you into waiting until I am done with my fitting?" He uncrossed his arms and stood as the woman motioned for him. "I'm sure I could talk my mother and father into leaving me be if I'm with two friends."

Tom rolled that idea around in his mind for a moment. It would be best to go to a new school with at least one friend his own age. Harry would be able to sneak in during the weekends, but it wasn't like the younger boy could attend classes with him.

"Are you alright with that Harry?" Tom asked, his protective streak for the person he cared for most making an appearance.

His question wasn't seconds from his lips when Harry nodded quickly and happily.

With a look of relief and a huge smile Abraxas stepped away from the two dark haired boys. "I'll be just a moment then!"

Tom stood there, his arms once again crossed over his chest. One finger tapped against the arm it was resting on as he looked from Abraxas to the window where he could see people walking around in the street beyond the shop.

"He seems nice." Harry offered up with a grin as he kicked his feet back and forth under the bench. "He told me about the house thing. Abraxas said Slytherin would be best, Ravenclaw is for people that like books. Gryffindor is for blowhards. And I don't think he liked Hufflepuff at all."

The older of the two blinked a few times in confusion before huffing and reaching out to ruffle Harry's hair. "Don't get too attached to him Harry. Remember what happened with Amy."

The even in question made Harry look down sadly. Amy had seemed nice back when he'd been really little. She'd given him her cookies at lunch and had said all sorts of nice things. It wasn't until she yelled at him for being friends with Tom and had tried to drag Harry away that the young boy had found out what was going on.

Amy had disliked Tom and had been trying to 'save' Harry from him. She had been nice at first to try and convince Harry that Tom couldn't be as nice as her.

"It's the two of us against the world." Harry's sad eyes faded and he smiled up at Tom.

That smile always made Tom's heart flutter and he couldn't help but smile back at the warmth that was in Harry's eyes just for him.

"Just the two of us." Tom agreed as he attempted to fix Harry's messy black hair only to fail as the locks jumped lose of the careful styling Tom had tried to do.

Sure enough only a few more minutes passed before Abraxas rejoined them at the bench. "My parents are just across the way at the Ice Cream parlor."

Harry looked up at Tom hopefully at the words 'ice cream' and the older boy chuckled. "I guess ice cream would be hard to eat once the shopping was done." There was a twinkle in Tom's eye and Harry couldn't help the victory yelp as the three boys left Madam Malkin's.

With all the money they now had Tom could safely budget in treats and unnecessary trivialities that in the past he would have only dreamed of.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Anyone want to buy me the rights? If not then no. Still don't own it.

A/N: *Skeleton has replaced the muppet* Tumblr: Ethrildragon

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 7: Diagon Alley

In the end Abraxas was able to get his parents to agree to let him wander around with Tom and Harry. It seemed to help the argument when Abraxas dropped Tom's last name.

The blonde boy may not have noticed, but Tom had seen it when the Abraxas' mother had looked surprised and his father had looked intrigued. It made Tom hope that there would be some answers in the letter that was safely stored away in his bottomless bag.

"So what shopping do you have left to do?" Abraxas asked Tom as Harry busied himself with eating some pink and bright green colored ice cream that he had been enamored with.

Tom let out a groan as he pulled out the list that he had already memorized. He assumed the role of annoyed pre-teen since that's what Abraxas was.

"Practically everything." At least they didn't have to wait around for the robes to be done.

"Well that sucks." Abraxas said as he glanced at the paper in Tom's hand. His parents had already said they would get his books, tools, and ingredients. All Abraxas had to get was his wand and familiar. He tapped a finger against the table in thought as he enjoyed his own ice cream cone. "Oh!"

Tom and Harry looked at Abraxas in curiosity as the boy turned to his parents. "Mother, would you and father be able to get Tom's things as well? Since you'll be going to those shops anyway."

"I wouldn't want to inconvenience your parents." Tom said quickly. He didn't like charity and he had been looking forward to exploring the shops with Harry.

"Nonsense!" Mrs. Malfoy quickly said from a table over where she was sitting with her husband. "It won't be any trouble! You boys just enjoy yourselves today."

"Absolutely." Mr. Malfoy added when his wife sent him a quick look. "Make sure to stop by the quidditch shop." Which earned a light smack from his wife who wasn't as into the sport as Malfoy senior was.

Money was never mentioned, but Tom expected them to ask for his portion of the funds. "Let me at least pay for my things." His voice was light hearted and he pretended to not have a care in the world as he began pulling out a few galleons.

A wave from Mr. Malfoy's hand stopped Tom before the boy had more than five galleons in his hand. "Don't worry about it my boy. We'll take care of the costs."

And that sealed it for Tom. Now he knew he had to keep Abraxas by his side if nothing else because his family would be useful.

Still Tom made his expression seem hesitant and he held the gold coins in his hands. "Are you sure? The list is quite extensive and I wouldn't want you to-"

"It's perfectly fine. Go! Enjoy the day!" Mrs. Malfoy made a shooing motion with her hand and Tom slipped the gold coins back into his bag.

Never let it be said that Tom didn't know how to manipulate people, especially adults, into doing what he wanted. He hadn't expected the offer for them to pay for his things to come, but he was grateful for it. Even with the large allowance Tom didn't like the idea of spending so much money.

Abraxas and Tom had finished their ice cream cones, having opted for a single scoop each, but Harry was still struggling with his double scoop.

"Oh Harry." Tom said with a sigh as his young friend grinned up at him with a pink smear of ice cream on his nose. With a fond smile he reached over with a napkin and cleaned his friend's nose.

The three, with Harry still working on his ice cream, left the parlor to wander down the street. Abraxas mostly led the way as they walked, but Tom made sure to note down where all the shops were and which ones he would like to visit later.

"Why'd they do that?" Harry asked once the majority of his ice cream was eaten. "Your parents. Why'd they offer to buy Tom's things?"

Abraxas smiled a bit. "Hmm. I suppose you would be too young to understand Pureblood niceties." That got a scowl from harry. "I guess you could say it is customary for pureblood families to buy things for each other when the opportunity arises. To show off." The blonde smiled brightly and shrugged at Harry's frown. "Since your parents are not present my parents are trying to gain favor by stepping in for them."

All that Abraxas was saying was useful information for Tom. Next time he got the chance he would have to pay for something for Abraxas in order to show off his own wealth if only to cement his place in the good graces of the Malfoy's.

No matter what world a person was from, wealth was still a sure way to secure your position.

"My parents will probably extend an invitation to your family, Gaunt, to our end of Summer Gala." There was a small sigh added after that and Abraxas almost looked bored at the idea. "It would be nice if you were there."

With Harry walking between himself and Abraxas, Tom was able to internally chuckle at the seemingly eternal frown that Harry had adopted.

"Why did you call Tom 'Gaunt'?"

"It's fine if you call me Tom." The dark haired preteen quickly said to cover up Harry's question.

Since Smith wasn't exactly one of the sacred pureblood lines Abraxas wasn't exactly surprised that Harry didn't know some of the etiquette that was practiced.

"You can call me Abraxas." The blond responded to Tom's offer of first name use before answering Harry's question. "It is tradition that pureblood families use last names when addressing each other unless given permission. It's a sign of respect." he gave Harry a smile. "You can call me Abraxas as well if you would like."

It was an offer of friendship that the Malfoy heir was giving Harry.

"Oh, well...call me Hadrian. Or Harry. Hadrian makes me sound old." Harry stuck out his tongue at that. He understood why Tom had chosen it, to help deflect any memories or connections people could make about him. They were trying to keep the truth of who he was a secret seeing as how the people back at the orphanage still believed Harry Potter had been kidnapped by his repulsive relatives.

Abraxas chuckled and nodded. "Harry it is."

The three boys explored the alley after that, chatting about various things and learning about each other. For the most part Abraxas led them to shops that he himself enjoyed seeing as how both Tom and Harry didn't really know where to go first.

And then they found themselves outside a shop with a single dusty wand in the window. "It looks closed." Harry commented as he took Tom's hand nervously.

The shop was giving off so many different sensations that it left Harry feeling a little overwhelmed. It wasn't bad like Dumbledor, but it wasn't neutral like Gringotts. It was like...reaching into a bag full of all sorts of things with his eyes closed.

"Do you want to wait out here?" Tom asked softly as his little friend weaved a little before leaning against him for support.

Out of the corner of his eye Harry could see Abraxas watching them. "No. I'm fine." He took a deep breath before straightening up once more. With a bright smile for Tom, Harry stepped forward and pushed the door open.

There was a chiming sound deep within the building and within moments a middle age man appeared along with an older teenager following right behind him.

"Welcome to Ollivanders." The older man stated with a small smile. His pale eyes looked at each boy individually, his eyes stopping to look at Harry a little longer than the others. "Here for your wands then?" he rubbed his hands together and before any of the boys could say anything he waved the teenager towards one wall to start pulling boxes.

"Come, come! Let's get your measurements." Abraxas was the first to step forward. "Abraxas! Grown out of your training wand then? Let's get you measured." The man pulled out a length of thread that had, to Tom and Harry, no real way to measure things, and yet the man whipped it around Abraxas' dominant hand and arm several times. "Start with the cedar, there's a good lad."

Abraxas picked up the offered wand and waved it only for a few peacock feathers to be sent flying through the air.

"Close, but I don't think either of you would be happy in the long run." With a sigh the man took the wand and set it in the box. "Try this ebony and dragon heartstring. Both your mother and father have done well with their heartstring cores."

Several boxes flew off the shelves when Abraxas tested the wand only for the man to snatch the wand away. "Definitely not."

The teen and the man looked at each other for a long moment. The older man gestured for the teen to chose the next one and after a moment's hesitation the teen behind the counter opened one box and pulled out a long dark brown wand.

"Ah. Interesting choice." The older man took the wand and handed to to Abraxas gently. "Reed. 15 inches. With a very unique wand core." His eyes sparkled a bit. "White River Monster Spine. From my trip to America."

The moment Abraxas took up the wand Harry could feel the magic around him change. The magic of the wand sang mutely in Harry's ear and he could see the platinum haired Malfoy boy smile.

"Good to see that wand go to a good home then." The man seemed to release the breath he had been holding and nodded to the teen next to him. "Only one I've ever made with that core. Truly unique."

With Abraxas taken care of the man turned to Tom and Harry. "My name is Ollivander and this is my son Geralt."

The teen nodded in welcome, but otherwise stayed silent. "So who's next?" When Harry and Tom looked at each other Ollivander noted the way Harry chewed on his lip. "You can have a wand no matter your age young man. If you want one that is."

Again those pale, pale eyes glimmered and Harry felt himself flushing a bit. They had only been planning on getting Tom his wand.

Tom liked the idea of getting Harry a wand though. That way, when Harry came to visit during the school year, Tom could teach Harry how to use his wand and how to cast spells.

"I'll go first." Tom whispered with a smile that was only ever for Harry. He waited until his small friend nodded before letting go of Harry's hand to go up to the counter.

"Dominant hand please." Ollivander wiggled his finger at Tom and once the pre-teen's hand was over the counter the old man was once again using that thread to measure Tom's arm. "May I ask your name? Family lines tend to stick to a type of core or wand wood."

"Gaunt."

Ollivander hesitated then, the thread slipping from his fingers. "Ah. I see." There was no look of interest in Ollivander like there had in the Malfoy's. Instead he looked contemplative and his pale eyes looked away. "Marvolo's grandson I wager."

As much as Tom wanted to hear more, Ollivander seemed to be rather tight lipped after his small statement about Tom's family.

He really hoped there would be more info in that first letter.

It didn't take three tries to find a wand for Tom. No, it took nearly a dozen tries before Ollivander turned to look silently towards the back of his shop. He looked conflicted, unsure, but after another minute or so he let out a long breath and wandered towards the back, slipping behind the curtain that separated the front of the store from the back.

Geralt was frowning slightly and his own pale blue eyes refused to leave the curtain that his father had disappeared behind.

Soon Ollivander returned with a thin box in his hands. "Yew. Phoenix feather. 13 1/2 inches."

It was a simple statement, one that seemed to have a great deal of meaning even though Harry and Tom couldn't understand it.

Tom didn't even have to take the wand to know it was for him. He wasn't as sensitive to magic as Harry was, but he could feel the way the wand was calling out to him.

The silence within the wand shop was only broken when Tom took the wand and all the boxes he had accidentally knocked around righted themselves. Tom didn't even have to wave or flick the wand and already it was doing exactly what he wanted.

"Curious." Ollivander's voice was soft and he was looking at Tom with a new interest. "Phoenix feather cores have a tendency of being particularly picky with who they choose. It takes a great deal to win the trust and power of a phoenix feather wand."

The man's words weren't awed, but he definitely was looking at Tom with a new interest in those pale eyes.

"Yew wood is best suited for fierce protectors." Ollivander told Tom gently.

Tom only nodded as he pulled out the necessary payment. Seeing the wand holsters to one side of the counter Tom also elected to pay for one of those as well.

"Now then." The tense air that had filled the shop vanished as Ollivander turned to young Harry. "Do you want a wand young man?"

Harry hesitated for a moment. If he got a wand where would he hide it? He knew he'd be able to take it with him back to his time, but would he be able to hide it from the Dursley's? He looked to Tom for his opinion and the two shared a silent discussion.

Ollivander's sharp pale eyes watched as the two boys worked things out silently. There was a connection there that was palpable to the wand maker. He'd spent so many years handling magical wand components that he'd gained a particular ability to sense connections between things and people.

He knew before Tom and Harry turned back to him that they had elected for Harry to pick out a wand. Ollivander had vanished behind the curtain long before a word left Harry.

"Try this one." Ollivander told Harry when he returned with another box similar to the one Tom's wand had been inside.

The magic coming off of the wand made Harry feel like he was reaching out to an old friend. It felt excited to be with him, as if they really did know each other. His grip was light as he lifted the wand up in admiration. Light surrounded him and a light breeze ruffled his already messy black hair.

"I thought so." Ollivander leaned away from the three boys and his eyes looked tired. "You two," He pointed at Tom and Harry. "have brother wands. The phoenix feathers for your wands came from the same phoenix." Seeing how the boys didn't understand Ollivander explained. "Most magical creatures only give enough for a single wand. It was quite a shock when the phoenix that gave a feather for that wand," he pointed at Tom's wand. "Also gave a feather for that wand."

"I think we can expect great things from you." Ollivander reached up to push back his graying bangs. "From both of you."

The group left the wand shop with wands and holsters for each of them.

"Brother wands! That's amazing!" Abraxas, who had been silent almost the entire time they had been within the shop, finally spoke up. He was grinning as he looked between Tom and Harry. "They say Castor and Pollux had twin wands and that they could defy death itself when they worked together!"

Abraxas continued on like that for some time while Harry fixed his wand holster so it fit more comfortably on his left arm.

"You're lucky you got a wand now. Father says the ministry is going to pass a law soon that will keep children from buying wands until their 11th birthday." That got Tom and Harry's attention. "Ridiculous if you ask me. And unfair."

"Why would they do that?" Harry asked. Now that he knew he might have been banned from getting a wand early he was glad that he had decided to get it.

Abraxas rolled his eyes. "Because the ministry is trying to crack down on the statute of secrecy again. My father doesn't talk about it front of me, but I listened in the other day and he said something about Grindelwald becoming a real problem to the statute."

There were so many questions that Tom wanted to ask, but he knew if he did Abraxas would think he didn't know anything about the wizarding world. He had already figured out the youngest Malfoy was being nice because he thought Tom had been raised with the same knowledge as him. Thankfully Harry stepped in with his own questions.

"Grindelwald?"

The look Abraxas gave Harry then was clearly one of 'such an innocent child'. "A dark wizard that believes the statute should be lifted and that muggles should be hunted." Abraxas shrugged a little. "I mean I understand not wanting to hide away like we do, but I don't think all muggles can be bad. Why else would we get so many muggleborns?"

Harry so desperately wanted to ask about muggles and muggleborns, but the grip Tom had on his hand stopped him. They would hopefully find out more later.

"Hey! How about we take a look at familiars?" Abraxas grinned as he pointed towards a shop with a sign stating 'Magical Menagerie'. "My family has a bunch of owls already for the post, but I think I might want something else as a pet you know? Maybe an exotic cat or something."

The only thing Harry heard in all of that was 'exotic cat'. He loved his snake Ladon, but sometimes he wondered what it would be like to have another animal. Harry loved animals, but he couldn't exactly keep pets with the Dursleys or at the orphanage with Tom.

Just like Ollivanders, there was magic all over the place. This time though Harry didn't feel overwhelmed; he was distracted by all the amazing animals that were crammed into every space available.

"Look at this Tom!" Harry let go of his friend's hand to hurry over to a cage that was full of orange butterflies that were humming sweetly and giving off a gentle warm glow. The closer Harry got the closer the closer little critters fluttered towards him.

"7 sickles each." Tom read the price of the little creatures. "I doubt one would make a good familiar though."

Abraxas simply grinned and nodded. "Of course not. They're mostly good as potion ingredients."

Harry pouted a bit, but he at least didn't ask for one. He turned away from the cage to look at another of the many animals only to freeze and become ghostly pale.

"Harry?" Tom asked in concern as his dearest friend's eyes went wide in fear. There was a sharp bark and instantly Tom knew what was wrong.

Abraxas hadn't noticed the sudden change in the two boys until he was several feet away looking at a very blue striped cat. "What's wrong?"

Tom had pulled Harry into his arms and was pressing him against his chest. "Harry was attacked by a nasty dog years ago." He nodded his head towards the jack russel terrier puppy that had a weird split tail. "Neither of us are fond of dogs now."

At least Harry wasn't shaking in fear. He mostly became petrified around larger breeds like pit bulls. This fear was mostly from the initial shock of seeing a dog so suddenly. After a few quick breaths and soft assurances from Tom, Harry was able to pull himself together. So long as he didn't get close to the dog he would be fine.

"You don't really have anything to worry about with the Crup." Abraxas told the young boy gently. "They're bred to be extremely loyal to wizards. Even when they have masters they aren't likely to attack other wizards unless threatened."

Still Harry wasn't all that interested in getting closer. Instead he went to the other side of the shop to look at the colorful birds that were in cages of all sizes and shapes.

In the end Abraxas picked out the blue striped cat with glowing yellow eyes which turned out to be some sort of crossbreed. Tom made sure to pay for it before Abraxas could even pull out his coin purse. The creature cost a lot more than Tom would have liked, but he needed to keep up appearances. At least he saved some money by not having to buy all of his school supplies himself.

The cat came up to Abraxas' knees and was more than happy to walk side by side with the Malfoy boy. It even showed interest in Harry and when the green eyed boy reached out a hand the cat lightly bumped its head against the offered appendage.

"I think our robes should be done by now." Abraxas commented while looking at his watch. "My parents are that way as well. They probably finished the rest of the shopping."

Sure enough when they returned to Madam Malkin's the two elder Malfoy's were waiting outside with two trunks next to them.

"Boys! There you are!" Mrs. Malfoy called out as the three came up to them. "Oh my! What a lovely creature." She cooed at the blue striped cat that preened with pride.

"He's a gift from Tom." Abraxas replied happily.

Tom felt his cheeks color a little when the two older Malfoy's smiled at him. He had made the right choice in paying for the feline.

The group of 5 wandered into the robe shop where the two pre-teens could pick up their robes. Thankfully they didn't need to try on the robes and were just handed the packages. Tom had also ordered a couple travel robes and every day robes along with the formal robes and school clothes. he was nothing if not thorough.

As it turned out one of the trunks contained all of the supplies that the Malfoy's had bought for him. It had been enchanted to shrink and un-shrink with just a couple taps of his wand and after he locked it for the first time it would only unlock for himself and whomever he gave permission to open it.

The Malfoy's had definitely spent a great deal of money just to try and show off their wealth to a boy with an important wizard name.

"I'm not sure if Abraxas told you, but we are holding an end of Summer Gala on the 30th of August. It would be marvelous if you and your parents could join us." Even though Mrs. Malfoy was speaking to Tom the invitation had been directed to both himself and Harry.

Ever since Abraxas had first mentioned the party Tom had been contemplating how to give a response. He'd been going over both the pros and cons about telling the truth about his living situation. They couldn't tell them the truth about Harry and he had no idea how they would respond if they knew Tom himself was an orphan.

If he told them he would consider the invitation how would he tell them yes or no later on? If he did go to the gala then how would he be able to explain away his parents not showing up?

He'd finally settled on the old saying 'honesty is the best policy' and hoped that the Malfoy's wouldn't think less of him.

"I am honored that you would extend your invitation to myself and Harry, but..." he hesitated and looked away from the elder Malfoy's. He felt Harry grip his hand in support. He may have looked remorseful about it, but really Tom was setting things up so that the Malfoy's might feel sympathy for his situation. "I'm afraid we cannot accept your invitation on good conscious."

Tom quickly continued before Mrs. Malfoy could insist. "Hadrian's relatives live quite a ways away and we do not...get along well." He took a deep breath before revealing why he himself could not go. "And my guardian does not know of my magical ancestry and abilities."

"Your...guardian..." Mr. Malfoy responded carefully.

Mrs. Malfoy held up a hand then and glanced around to see if anyone was listening in. "I think we should move this conversation to a more private setting. How about we bring you boys home for supper?" The offer and her expression made it clear that she would not take 'no' as an answer. "We'll make sure you get home safely afterwards."

Since they had no other real option Tom shrunk his trunk down and took Harry's hand. With a quick explanation that involved something about 'apparating back" the adults took the hands of all the boys and with a crack they were gone from the alley.

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A/N: Special thanks to: Louise To, Maurey


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: *is sleeping*

A/N: Seriously guys. I have a tumblr. It's useful and I update all the time. I also love random questions and comments. Tumblr: Ethrildragon

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 8: Trust your Instincts

Apparition was probably one of the worst experiences Harry had ever had in his young life, besides being attacked by a dog. It felt like he was being pulled by his shoulders through a really tight tube. Not to mention, since he'd left his eyes open, the world was swirling, smudging, and blurring all around him. Sometimes he could make out Tom, but mostly his friend was a pale smudge. At least Harry could still feel Tom's hand in his own.

The entire experience made Harry extremely grateful that his time travelling was quick and easy.

As soon as the trip was over there were hands holding Harry up.

"First time apparating? I apologize for not warning you." Mrs. Malfoy looked contrite in her apology and her hands were warm and gentle against Harry's shoulders. The hands were gone the moment Harry was able to stand up on his own.

"Simmer."

With a crack that made Harry jump and Tom move to stand in front of Harry, a strange little creature with floppy pointed ears and the biggest muddy brown eyes appeared. The creature bowed to Mr. Malfoy with out a word.

"Prepare some tea and biscuits for our guests and add two place settings to the dinner table."

With another crack the creature was gone.

No one moved after the creature vanished and silence stretched between the two adults and three boys until finally Mrs. Malfoy huffed and gestured for them to move into a room just off from the main entrance hall.

Tom should have been paying attention to his surroundings, but his mind was on Harry. He could see how uncomfortable Harry was and he could see how fast his small friend was breathing. Something about the Malfoy home had him nervous.

So Tom gently squeezed Harry's hand in his own and led him into the sitting room that the Malfoy family had already entered. The two of them took seats on the available love seat.

Silence settled around them again for several long minutes before the creature, Simmer, returned with a tray containing a tea pot, cups, and some cookies.

"You said your guardian doesn't know about your magic?" Mr. Malfoy's voice broke the prolonged silence after his wife had poured tea for their two guests. "Gaunt isn't a muggle name, that I know of. But you are being cared for by someone without magic?"

This was not an outcome Tom had been expecting. He'd planned for some questions, sure, but not being taken to another person's home and questioned. He had miscalculated.

"I am." His mind was working faster than he was used to and Tom was still having trouble figuring out a way out of the entire situation. He knew now what he should have done in the beginning, but dwelling on the past wouldn't fix anything.

He should have just told the Malfoy's that he and Harry would be unavailable for the Malfoy function; even if it would have set him back in the eyes of the wizarding family.

The pre-teen figured he could attempt to change the memories of the Malfoy's, but he didn't know if his power would even work on them. Harry could always sense whenever Tom was using his powers so the Malfoy's probably would be able to as well. Tom's powers barely worked on Harry, and that was only when he was trying to put his friend to sleep after a particularly nasty nightmare.

It was clear where the questions would lead though, so Tom made the quick decision to just head off what he was sure the Malfoy's would ask.

"My mother was Merope Gaunt. She died shortly after I was born."

Harry knew Tom was trying to sound as emotionally distant as he could, but he could see the hurt in Tom's eyes and could feel the pain in his heart. The woman that had given birth to Tom had been a witch and yet she had still died.

"I know my father was Tom Riddle, but I have never known him." Tom shrugged a little in indifference, but when Harry's hand slip back into his Tom gratefully squeezed it. "My guardian is the woman that runs Wool's Orphanage."

"Raised by muggles," Mr Malfoy sounded disgusted by the very word. "It's not right. You should have been found years ago and taken in by a proper wizarding household." The man turned to his wife. "Haven't I always said that there should be a better system of tracking magical children? We can't always depend on Hogwarts and their Book and Quill."

Mrs. Malfoy put a gentle hand on her husbands arm to remind him that they still had guests.

The older Malfoy man sighed softly and cleared his throat. "We saw this happen a great deal during the last war. There were many orphaned muggle born and half-blood children. There were even a few pure blood children that were lost due to unforeseen circumstances." He shook his head sharply in anger. "They were only found once they were old enough to attend Hogwarts."

"What we're trying to say," Mrs. Malfoy said with a frown as her husband insisted on exposition instead of explanations. "is that you're welcome to stay here if you would like. We opened up our home before during the last war. It wouldn't be a problem."

Tom was in shock. He really was. This was definitely not what he had been expecting.

"What about you Hadrian dear?" Mrs. Malfoy turned to ever quiet Harry.

The two boys looked at each other. This proposition was unexpected, but it could have many benefits for both Tom and Harry. If Harry decided to stay in the past then he could live with the Malfoy's while Tom went to school.

Harry would be safe.

But Gothrack had made the suggestion that they wait until Harry was at least 11 years old though. The goblin was the only other living creature that knew what Harry was and Tom was more willing to follow his advice than to risk Harry's life with strangers.

Tom didn't have to say anything for Harry to understand his slight frown.

"I'm fine at home. Tom just doesn't like my relatives." Harry grinned at that. "Especially my cousin. He's really loud and spoiled. But they let me visit Tom whenever I want."

Mrs. Malfoy seemed to hesitate at that. With Tom it was easy to take him into their care; he had no relatives that could fight the change in guardianship. Harry on the other hand obviously had family that would possibly fight for guardianship.

"Abraxas dear, why don't you show the boys where they can get cleaned up for dinner." She told her son who had been respectfully quiet during all of this. "Your father and I need to discuss a few things."

The youngest Malfoy nodded and stood with a smile. "This way."

Now that the stress had lessened and Harry was used to the overpowering magic in the air, he was able to actually look around and admire the Malfoy home.

His first impression was that everything was very shiny. The floor was made of a black and white marble that had been polished excessively. There was gold carefully set in between the tiles of the floor. The sconces on the walls were gold as well. The front hall, where they had arrived, had beautiful flowers in intricate vases.

One major thing that Harry found interesting were the snakes that were carved into the gold banisters at the stairs, the dragon statues and figures, and the silver swirling with green in the wallpaper.

Tom was having a better time at keeping in his awe, but not by much. He had never seen so much wealth before in his life. At least not up close like he was now. Harry was the first to spot the moving paintings on the walls, but Tom took note of how the sconces were lit without any power source.

"My parents mean well."

Tom had almost forgotten that they were following after Abraxas.

"I'm sorry if they're being pushy and rushing to try and help you. They've always been like that." Abraxas explained as he took them to a door down one hall. He leaned against the door frame as Tom and Harry went in.

It was obviously a powder room with a door leading to where the toilet would be. One wall was covered with a huge mirror with twin sinks set before it.

"Their offer is very kind." Tom agreed as he helped Harry wash his hands. "I would be insane if I didn't consider it."

That got a grin out of Abraxas. "My parents will probably offer to let you two stay the night to get you used to the manor."

Tom shook his head sadly. "Mrs. Cole will be wondering where we are. She's not a horrible person, and she at least does her job." If Tom didn't arrive before bed time she would probably call the police to file a missing person's report.

"Will you stay here Tom?" Abraxas asked as he took his turn to wash his hands and face. "If you don't want to then my parents could find you a different family to live with."

Now there was a prospect that Tom hadn't consider. The Malfoy's obviously had means to make his life better, even if it wasn't with them. But would Tom be willing to deal with new people he had no current knowledge of?

The other problem? How in the world would he explain Harry's sudden appearances and disappearances? It was easy at the orphanage; all Tom had to do was alter a few memories. Here though he had no idea if he had the power to manipulate the Malfoy's. They knew more about magic so Tom wouldn't be able to fake it with false answers.

He'd think about it once he got himself and Harry back to the orphanage for the night.

"I would like too, but I think I need the night to think about it." He smiled kindly at Abraxas, who was leading them back down the hall now that the three boys were all cleaned up. "It's a big decision and I'm still getting used to the idea of spending the school year at Hogwarts."

As much as Abraxas wanted Tom to say yes he could understand the other pre-teen's thought process. He liked the idea of having someone his own age living in the manor. Tom didn't prattle and give Abraxas false compliments like his other 'friends', and honestly it was nice to have someone around that treated him like an actual person.

There was also something about Tom that made the young Malfoy want to be close to him.

Thankfully the offer wasn't brought up during dinner. Instead the elder Malfoy's asked about Tom's early life, how he and Harry had met, and what sorts of things the two boys liked to do. Harry especially enjoyed telling them stories about the trips to the beach.

Like Abraxas had predicted, his parents made an offer for both Tom and Harry to stay the night in their manor, but after explaining how Mrs. Cole would worry, and dropping a lie about how she might contact Harry's family to warn them about a possible kidnapping, the Malfoy's took the two boys back to Wool's orphanage.

It was obvious when they arrived how disgusted the adults were with the structure. Abraxas had stayed back at the Malfoy home which made it a little easier on Tom and Harry.

"We shall speak with this Mrs. Cole and assure her that the two of you were perfectly safe." Mr. Malfoy told Tom and Harry. "We'll also tell her we'll be back tomorrow to hear your decision."

Mrs. Malfoy smiled and leaned down to give both Tom and Harry hugs. "It was wonderful meeting both of you. You're such polite and sweet boys." Her maternal instinct was kicking in and she was loathe to let the boy's stay a second longer in the muggle establishment.

With a final goodbye, and an introduction between a worried Mrs. Cole and the Malfoy's, Tom and Harry went up to their shared bedroom.

"Finally!" Tom said with a groan as he sat down on his bed. The entire day felt like it had taken weeks instead of hours.

A groan from Harry marked his agreement with Tom's exclamation. When Tom looked over at his younger friend the boy was flopped over on his bed.

"You'll fall asleep in your clothes if you stay like that." Tom fondly told the boy before going over to Harry's bed to prod him into an upright position. "We still have to read the letters."

That was enough to get Harry to sit up. "I'd forgotten about those." He admitted sleepily. Tom reached into his bag for a moment before pulling out the two envelopes.

Harry happily took his envelope and clumsily ripped open the top so he could read what had been written. Where Harry was enthusiastic, Tom was hesitant. Ever since Gothrack had given them the letters, Tom hadn't stopped thinking about them and their contents. Now that he had the chance to read it he felt apprehension and worry.

What if he'd already messed things up and this letter had meant to warn him about not talking to Abraxas? What if the letter told him not to go with the Malfoy's?

Tom chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before mentally berating himself for stalling as long as he had. With careful fingers Tom Ripped the envelope open and reached in to pull out several pieces of paper.

The first few words on the paper put Tom at ease and had him relaxing from the stressed state he had been in.

 _"The Malfoy's can be trusted."_

Whoever their benefactors were definitely knew what was going on in the past. Tom was starting to suspect that the mysterious benefactors were in fact himself and Harry in the distant future.

It would make sense really. Who would know more about themselves than themselves? Their future selves would know exactly what would happen and at what time. They could even warn their younger selves of things.

Then again too many warnings could mess with time line.

Tom was definitely going to need to do more research about time travel once school started.

 _"The Malfoy's can be trusted._

 _Whether or not you chose to go with them is up to you, but they can be trusted to keep you safe and to make sure you integrate into the magical world._

 _Knowing you though you will keep the truth of Harry from them. That is fine. Let them prove themselves to you before you and Harry tell them anything._

 _With that in mind just tell them that Harry's family set up an anchored portkey in the park across from Wool's Orphanage. Tell them that Harry will need to go home once a week and that they can pick him up in the park at the big tree when he returns. Harry has a second letter that he can give to the Malfoy's that will explain things. That way they won't ask too many questions._

 _That is if you decide to stay with them._

 _I wish I could tell you everything Tom, but you're a smart boy and I am sure you have already figured out that the future relies on you learning certain things on your own._

 _Trust in your instincts._

 _Trust in Harry._

 _Try not to be too hard on Abraxas. He just wants a friend. A real friend. It won't be easy for you to trust him, but keep an open mind._

 _When the Malfoy's see Ladon and Ophion for the first time you can tell them the truth. Knowing that you are from the Gaunt family they will not be surprised by your ability to speak with snakes. Try to keep that information from spreading after that. Speaking to snakes is considered dark magic and many wizards and witches fear dark magic._

 _I would suggest next time you go to Diagon Alley that you get the book "Light, Dark, and the Shadows Between". It'll explain quite a few things._

 _There is one thing I will warn you about, but you might already know: Do not trust Dumbledore. He will say and do many things to try and convince you to become his follower, but you can't fall for his traps. Pretend if you must, but do not trust him._

 _You'll know what to do as time passes. Watch him and learn as much about him as you can. The Malfoy's have information, as do several other pure-blood families, and there is truth in gossip._

 _This is a game you cannot lose._

 _Take care of Harry. You will be in need of a place where you and Harry can meet in secret. There might be something useful on the 7th floor of Hogwarts."_

Tom read the letter several times before setting the papers on his lap. It felt like the letter had been written by two people, but in the same hand. Gothrack had mentioned benefactors, so two people would make sense.

Again Tom suspected that the mysterious benefactors were his future self and Harry. He let out a small laugh at that. He wouldn't find out the truth of the matter until both he and Harry were full grown and living in the future.

The irony was not lost on Tom.

"What does yours say Tom?" Harry asked as he finished reading his own. "Trade?" He held out his own letter for Tom to read.

Harry's letter was a lot less formal compared to Tom's.

 _"Hey Harry,_

 _I hope you had fun in Diagon Alley today. Congrats on your wand! It's cool right? I bet you never imagined that all those things you could do were actually magic._

 _Don't believe what your aunt and uncle tell you. Having magic does not make you a freak. It's just who you are. Your mum and dad both had magic so maybe it's your aunt and uncle that are weird? Dudley is just a prat, but he has time to at least grow out of it._

 _You started school last year I think. Primary school. It's not as interesting as Hogwarts, but at least you won't be stuck at the Dursley's all day, every day. Work on dodging during PE. You're smaller and faster than Dudley. Also if he just happens to trip over his own feet well...that's his fault._

 _Back to your wand. As fun as it would be to have it with you back at the Dursleys, you need to leave it with Tom. You'll get to use it on the weekends when you visit him. Try using the spells he teaches you without your wand too. Shouldn't be too hard for a time traveler like you._

 _That reminds me! You need to give Tom a couple weeks after school starts before visiting him. He needs to find a super secret place where the two of you can meet and be safe. Maybe Barnabas can help him._

 _I can't really tell you if you should or shouldn't stay in the past. Gothrack has been told to suggest that you wait until you're at least 11. But really, it's up to you._

 _If anything happens and you need to get away from the Dursley's for awhile, go over to Ms. Figgs. Yeah her cake is stale and her house smells like cats, but she'll at least tell you fun stories and let you listen to the radio. She'll let you study and do your homework without bothering you as well._

 _You know that thing where you can feel magic? Don't fight it ok? Ask the Malfoy's to teach you how to meditate. It'll help._

 _That's all I can really tell you for now._

 _Oh and Harry?_

 _Happy early birthday."_

There were hints in both letters that Tom would need when he got to Hogwarts. The 7th floor and some guy named Barnabas were the keys to finding the safe space for Harry to visit. He would have two weeks before Harry would come for his first visit. It wasn't a lot of time, but the two clues would at least point him in the right direction.

It also made sense for Tom to keep Harry's wand while the younger boy was back in his own time. Knowing the Dursleys they might just snap Harry's wand if they saw it.

"So...are you going to stay with the Malfoy's?" Harry asked once he was done reading Tom's longer letter. "If you are I need to give them this." He reached over to his side where he had set down the extra letter.

The purpose of the second letter hadn't been clear at first and Harry had been tempted to open it, but he'd only stopped when he'd spotted the Malfoy's name written across the envelope in green ink.

Tom set both of their letters onto the nightstand that separated their beds. "I'll decide in the morning."

He didn't want to rush into the decision, but if the mysterious benefactor said he could trust the Malfoy's then Tom would probably say yes in the end. He would only have to live with them for a couple months before school started anyway.

"What do you think about Abraxas? Your letter says he wants a friend." Harry looked over at the papers laying out on the nightstand and then back at Tom. "He seems really nice! We spent the entire day with him and he didn't say anything mean."

It was true. Abraxas hadn't really done anything that would have irritated Tom and he had been very polite to Harry. The two of them had come across boys around Tom's age in the past that had treated Harry badly just because he'd been younger.

But could Tom actually trust Abraxas? The letter said he could, but...it had also told Tom to trust his instincts and his instincts were telling him to be cautious.

"I think I need to get to know him better. I won't push him away though." That small assurance brought a smile to Harry's lips which caused Tom to smile right back at him. "Get some sleep Harry. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be just as busy as today was."

A yawn stretched across Harry's face and his eyes watered a bit. "Ok Tom." he pulled off his shirt and set it at the end of his bed. His pajamas had been folded up and stashed under his pillow.

For a moment the two boys were quiet as they prepared for bed. It really had been a very long and busy day so Tom figured Harry would sleep well.

"Tom?"

The older dark haired boy looked up from where he was crawling under his blankets.

"Can I sleep with you?"

The words were softly spoken and Tom would have missed them completely if he wasn't used to Harry's voice.

The green eyed lad was sitting on his bed, his blanket pulled back but his feet dangling over the edge. He was in the process of climbing into the bed, but could easily jump right out if given the chance.

Tom sighed slowly and nodded. "You'll need to get used to sleeping on your own again soon Harry." Even as he said that Tom was brushing his fingers through Harry's hair and wrapping his other arm around Harry to hold him close.

"I know...I just really don't want to sleep alone tonight."

With a nod and a soft goodnight Tom pointed a finger at the light switch. The little switch flipped and their room darkened. Morning would come soon enough and with it the Malfoy's.

Hopefully sleep would give Tom the answers he needed and he'd be able to make a final decision with a clear conscience.

* * *

A/N: Special thanks to: Louise To, Maurey


	9. Chapter 9

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A/N: Since this is the most recent chapter that's been released I can tell you that I update on Mondays. I've got up to chapter 13 written at this point, but you need to go to my tumblr (ethrildragon) to learn more about those unreleased chapters.

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 9: A New Life

Tom was able to pull Harry from bed fairly early the next morning. That didn't mean Harry was completely awake so Tom had to intervene quite a few times while his friend struggled to get dressed.

"I'll make sure all your things are packed up and put into my bag." Tom made a shooing motion at his barely awake Harry. "You head down and see if breakfast is done yet."

A grumble from Harry was all Tom got in response before the sleepy eyed boy was out the door and making his way down to the dinning hall.

Tom couldn't help the fond smile and the shake of his head. Truly he wondered how he had survived as a child without Harry in his life. He wondered if he would be able to survive even two weeks without the young green eyed boy there to keep him from losing his patience.

Harry may still need to be cuddled up to Tom in order to sleep, but Tom still needed Harry close by in their waking hours.

Thankfully Harry hadn't packed all that much for his visit and Tom was able to find everything of his. After that Tom began gathering up his own belongings.

Other than his books Tom didn't have much. The things that he, and the Malfoy's, had bought the day before were still in his shrunken chest which was still in his bottomless bag he'd gotten from Gothrack.

Muggle books probably wouldn't be very welcome at Hogwarts, but they were Tom's and he wasn't about to give them up. Although Tom did make sure to leave the books that belonged to the orphanage.

Tom hesitated as he packed away his clothes. Most of them were second hand and, though they weren't ratty, it was obvious they had been worn quite a bit. If he really was moving in with the Malfoy's he would need nicer clothes besides the robes he had bought in Diagon Alley.

Now that the Malfoy's knew about his situation though perhaps they would allow him to go into London and buy some new clothes.

He groaned at that idea, not liking the idea of going on another shopping trip after the escapades that happened yesterday.

Finding and packing everything took no time at all and Tom soon found himself downstairs. Not many other children were awake yet, but the pre-teen could smell eggs being cooked by Martha. When Tom looked around the dinning room though he couldn't find Harry anywhere.

A moment of panic settled in Tom's gut before he heard Harry's voice coming from the kitchen. Instantly Tom calmed down and he was able to breath easier.

"That's it Harry. Are you sure you can mix the batter by yourself?"

Tom found Harry sitting on a stool at the kitchen counter, a large bowl of pancake batter in front of him and a big spoon in his two hands.

"I can do it Miss Martha!" The small boy said with determination as he struggled to move the spoon around in the batter. It wasn't that the batter was thick, it was just a lot larger than Harry was used too.

Thinking that Harry would be safe with Martha, Tom left the kitchen to go around the orphanage to make sure he wasn't missing anything that he needed to take with him.

After checking the entire first floor Tom went outside to check the shed and any other places that he and Harry often went to in order to hide from the other kids.

He was halfway to the shed when a hand came out from behind a bush and suddenly shoved Tom to the ground.

"Why were you so late getting back yesterday Riddle?"

It was the idiot Billy and a few of his fellow bullies. Over the years the boy and his 'friends' had backed off from harassing Tom, but there were times when they'd fall back to their old ways.

"And who were those fancy people that were with you? Did you steal from them or do one of your freaky things to them?" Billy sneered down at Tom who had yet to stand up.

Normally in a situation like this Tom would use his powers to deflect Billy and the others; make them forget they had even noticed Tom. Seeing as how this would probably be the last time he had to deal with the horrible children Tom decided to go a different route.

"Freaky things?" Tom hissed out. He wasn't even speaking English and Ophion peaked out from around Tom's neck to see what was going on. Seeing the boys standing over Tom made the little black snack hiss in anger. "How about I show you all the freaky things I can do?" That part came out in English.

Tom's blue eyes flashed and darkened dangerously. They were almost black and there were specks of red around the edges as he pointed a finger at Billy.

The bullies froze in place. Roots came up out of the ground to wrap around the feet of the boys.

All the hatred and anger that Tom had kept in the back of his mind surfaced and his grin turned feral. He was going to show these horrible children what they had always accused him of. He was going to get revenge for all the times they had pushed Harry, for all the times they had laughed at he and his favorite person when they had decided to read under the shade of their favorite tree.

Billy was trying to say something, but instead of words he only made gurgling sounds. His lips were starting to turn colors and his eyes began to roll and bug out.

"Remember that time I almost drowned because you pushed me into the ocean?" Tom asked lightly while looking at his nails. "I was under the water for what...2 or 3 minutes. I couldn't breath. I didn't know which way was up or down."

With a sharp laugh Tom let Billy breath after the boy struggled for several long minutes. "Oh! Or how about the time you hit Harry with that bat?"

Billy doubled over in pain and a trickle of blood dribbled past his lip. Then a bright bruise blossomed across Billy's temple.

Tom's magic washed over Billy and the others as he relived so many of tortures that Billy had put him and Harry through. He numbed some of Billy's pain, intending on letting it all crash over the boy all at once when Tom was done.

"The only reason you are even alive is because of Harry." Tom's words were almost a hiss as he grabbed Billy's chin to make him look into Tom's eyes. The other boys were crying silently as they suffered through the things Tom was making them go through.

Billy and the others had done more than just physically assaulted him and Harry. They had attacked emotionally as well. So, with his and Billy's eyes locked together, Tom took hold of all of his magic and drove it into Billy's mind.

Memories and thoughts assaulted Tom and it disoriented the young wizard for a moment before he was able to get back into control.

"From this day forward, Billy, you will feel fear whenever you hear the creak of the floorboards. You will jump whenever someone reaches out to you. You will piss yourself whenever a dog comes close to you. You will never again be able to stand near a window or close to any ledge without feeling like you are falling. When you see water you will quake and feel like you are drowning the way you almost drowned me."

It was a curse that Tom engraved into Billy's mind using the overwhelming wave of magic he'd summoned from the depths of the hatred he had for the boy.

When it was done Tom took a step back and released his hold on Billy and the others. Billy's friends fled in terror, their minds altered just enough so that they would never be able to talk about what had just happened, but Billy fell to his knees. His eyes were wide and unseeing as his mind processed everything that Tom had changed and added to it.

"I hope you've learned your lesson." Tom smiled pleasantly before turning to head for the shed like he had originally planned. "Oh!" He glanced over his shoulder at Billy one last time. "I left a gift for you in your room. A little something to remember me by."

He'd done all of that without a wand and Tom couldn't have been happier.

When Tom went back inside after his search inside and out of the orphanage he found Harry helping to set the first of the food out.

"Hey Tom!" He grinned and waved until Tom waved back with a roll of his eyes. "Martha let me help make breakfast! We have pancakes, eggs, and some fruit!"

It would have been nice if there had been some ham or bacon, but at least they had some fruit.

With food on their plates Harry and Tom went to their usual table and began eating. It took Tom all of a second to see that Harry was upset about something.

"Harry?"

"You did something outside." Harry's expression turned sad and he refused to look up from where he was pushing around a slice of apple around on his plate. " Something dark." Harry could count on one hand the amount of times he'd felt that darkness from Tom.

Tom set his fork down and frowned at Harry. "What I did was a long time coming. Don't worry yourself about it." His words were sharp and brooked no argument.

"I don't care how you use your magic Tom!" Harry whispered urgently. "I just don't want you to get hurt! For all I know you were being attacked and that's why your magic had gotten so big.

With wide eyes Tom leaned away from Harry. He hadn't considered that. Harry could sense magic, but he couldn't exactly tell what the intent was or why the magic was being used.

"I was scared." Harry whispered even softer. His head hung and his fork dropped onto his plate.

As much as Billy had deserved what had been done, Tom should have waited until he had told Harry what he was going to do. It had been such a spur of the moment thing though! It wasn't like Tom had planned on confronting Billy. In fact Tom would have avoided the bully altogether if he had had the choice.

"I'm sorry." Tom slowly reached out to touch Harry's hand. The smaller boy jerked a little before lifting his head to smile at Tom. Harry's eyes were watery, but he didn't look upset or angry at all. He truly had been scared. "Forgive me?"

Harry nodded quickly and wiped away the tears that had been building up in his eyes. He was tempted to ask Tom what he had done, but Harry wasn't sure if he actually wanted to know.

It wasn't hard to figure out what had happened though when a few minutes later Billy stumbled into the orphanage. His eyes darted around frantically and when he saw Tom he squeaked in terror and then raced up the stairs to his bedroom.

Harry actually felt a little happy that Billy had finally been punished for all the years of torture he had dished out on the two friends.

It was around 9 in the morning when Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy arrived. Harry felt it the moment they had appeared just outside the building. Both he and Tom were waiting in the front hall when the door opened.

Mrs. Malfoy strode forward quickly with a warm smile as she gave Tom and then Harry gentle hugs.

"Have you made your decision?" Mr. Malfoy asked, his cane making a deep clacking sound each time it came down onto the wood floor.

All the Malfoy's need was to see Tom nod before Mr. Malfoy was walking towards Mrs. Cole's office.

"We have a room all made up for you Tom." Mrs. Malfoy chatted away happily as she waited for her husband to finish signing the paperwork that Mrs. Cole would have for them. They weren't adopting Tom, just transferring guardianship from Mrs. Cole to themselves. "And since Harry is staying with you we made up the guest room for him."

Tom nudged at Harry then and glanced down at Harry's pocket where the letter to the Malfoy's was.

"Oh!" Harry pulled out the letter and held it out to Mrs. Malfoy. "My family sent this for you."

"Hm?" The older woman took the envelope and turned it over in her hands. The envelope was lightly sealed with a simple spell and when she broke the spell the envelope opened up.

She scanned the words on the letter quickly before smiling. "Your relatives went through a great deal of trouble to make sure you could visit Tom." Mrs. Malfoy stated as she folded the letter back up. She'd give it to her husband to read over when the made it back to the manor. "Turning a tree into a permanent portkey! There must be quite a few notice-me-not spells around that tree."

Tom had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. He couldn't believe their benefactors had included his and Harry's tree in all the schemes.

"Don't worry dear. We'll make sure you get back to the park every week so you can get home to your relatives." Mrs. Malfoy didn't understand why Harry had to go back every week for a single day, but she couldn't exactly complain. Her own family had quite a few eccentricities that many others would raise an eyebrow over.

Both boys felt immense relief over the fact that Mrs. Malfoy believed the letter. As long as one of the adults trusted what was written there then they should be fine.

"I don't mean to offend either of you," Mrs. Malfoy said as she looked over the boys clothing. "But perhaps a shopping trip is in order."

Harry looked down at himself at the clothes he was wearing. The Dursley's had been good about getting him actual clothes that could fit, but they weren't exactly the most fashionable. He had a few things from Tom as well that he wore when he was visiting the past. Again they weren't the best in the world.

The older boy had expected as such and he simply nodded.

"That's all taken care of now." The group turned to look at the Malfoy senior as he returned. He was walking swiftly so his cane didn't even bother to touch the ground. "I swear Muggles have such convoluted guardianship laws."

His wive nodded in agreement before smiling at the two boys. "Shall we go? We'll go drop your things off at the manor and see if Abraxas would like to join us for our shopping trip."

Mr. Malfoy didn't even ask about that. He was more interested in leaving the building before any more muggles made appearances.

The trip back to the manor was fast, but just as equally disorienting as it had been the first time Harry had been apparated. There had to be a better way to travel around quickly.

Abraxas wasn't especially eager at the idea of shopping, but he did agree to go, whispering to Harry how he couldn't just leave the two boys to his mother's handling alone.

As the adults spoke with each other Abraxas led the way up to Tom's new room. "It's right across from my room so if you ever need anything I'll be right there. Harry's guest room is down the hall."

The younger boy felt apprehension of being so far away from Tom. He had always slept in the same room as Tom whenever Harry was in the past.

Tom, when he first looked at his room, was positive he'd died or was having a dream. The room was huge with it's own personal bathroom off to one side and a fireplace nestled against one wall with several comfortable seats. On either side of the fireplace were bookshelves. The shelves only had a few titles, leaving plenty of room for Tom to fill with his own books. Tom squashed down the impulse to jump onto the bed to see just how plush it was.

Harry had no such impulse control and was instantly jumping around on the bed. If they wanted Harry could easily fit in the bed with Tom at night; it was nearly three times the size of the bed back at the orphanage.

"Mother and father weren't sure what colors you would prefer so they stuck to the family colors. If you would prefer something else things can be changed." Abraxas was enjoying watching Harry squealing as he ruined the perfectly made blankets just to bounce and jump.

The shopping trip lasted hours and Mrs. Malfoy insisted on getting many things for both boys. Abraxas kept the two entertained for the most part, but he somehow ended up with several new shirts as well.

It was a good thing the boys had left Ophion and Ladon back at the manor to explore and learn about their new home.

Tom considered it a miracle when he was able to convince the older woman to let them go to the bookshop, Flourish and Blotts, so he could look at the book selection there.

"We have a huge library you know." Shopping for books was not something that Abraxas enjoyed doing in his spare time. Still he had agreed to the shopping trip so it wasn't like he could get out of it now.

"Mr. Malfoy told me, yes, but I would like to see what might be available here." Tom explained lightly. He had already found a book about magic sensitivity that he was sure would be useful for Harry. The younger boy was looking at a few books that had colorful covers.

He was also on the hunt for that one book that his benefactor had suggested he get. 'Light, Dark, and the Shadows between'. If he went straight for the book Abraxas might get suspicious; so instead Tom was just grabbing any book with an interesting title.

"We have that one." Abraxas commented when Tom picked up a book on ancient families and bloodlines. "Father will probably give you a bunch of books on pureblood traditions too. They're rather dry though."

Of course Abraxas had had to read those books as a child. It had been a part of his training as the future head of the family. It wouldn't do for a Malfoy to make a mess of a social situation.

Tom found nearly a dozen books of interest along with the one book he'd been intending on getting. Harry found a few, mostly children's books, that were added to Tom's pile.

Mrs. Malfoy insisted on paying for the books even though Tom knew he had the money.

That was another thing that worried Tom. The Malfoy's had yet to talk to him about his finances. With his yearly allowance Tom wasn't nearly as rich as the wizarding family, but he could take care of himself.

"Don't you fret about money dear," Mrs. Malfoy told Tom as she finished the transaction. "We're your guardians now. It is our duty to make sure you are taken care of." She smiled warmly at Tom as she shrank the books down to store in his bottomless back. "Besides, it's such a nice change to have a young man in the house that enjoys reading."

The wink from Mrs. Malfoy had Abraxas scoffing and arguing how he read quite frequently.

"Now. How about we get some treats before we head back to the manor? There's a sweets shop right over there that carries some licorice wands that Abraxas particularly enjoys."

As if there were any chance the boys would turn down an offer to get sweets. Tom may not have had a sweet tooth as big as Harry's, but he was still a boy.

The day ended with Tom setting his belongings on the shelves and his clothes in the wardrobe; after everything had been returned to their proper sizes.

Harry was laying on his back over on Tom's bed with one of his new children's books.

"I got this book for you." Tom told his younger friend as he carried the book on magical sensitivity over to Harry.

Harry eyed the new book with interest before he set down his children books, who's title had something to do with a beetle or bard, and took the book Tom was holding out.

It was a fairly big book and Harry was holding it between his hands apprehensively. "Do I really have to read this?" He asked as he opened the cover to look at the small writing within.

"Eventually. It'd be nice if you finished it before summer ended."

Tom had always needed to bribe Harry into reading text books and he wasn't surprised that he would have to do the same now. "If you finish it quickly maybe I can convince the Malfoy's to let us go to the beach."

Hope glimmered in Harry's green eyes. He still looked at the book with a frown, but at least he had motivation now to finish thick tome.

"For now let's get ready for bed."

With a pout already forming on Harry's face, the young boy scooted away from Tom and further onto his bed. "Do I really have to sleep in that other room?"

The guest room wasn't as large as Tom's new room, but it was equally as nicely furnished. It was also farther down the hall so it wasn't like Harry would easily be able to sneak out of his room in order to get to Tom's.

With a sad nod Tom held out a hand to help Harry out of his bed. "I won't be far, you know that, and if you have a nightmare you can always come back." The younger boy was looking down at his feet and avoiding looking up at Tom. "But you do need to get used to sleeping in your own bed Harry. Best to start now instead of going cold turkey when school starts."

"I know." The words came out in a mumble that Tom barely caught.

Tom's throat constricted and he felt his heart twist in his chest at how dejected Harry looked. He hated to see his friend so sad, but he had to put his foot down now or they would both have problems later.

"I'll read you a story." The older boy offered. Instantly Harry was grinning and nodding. It'd been some time since Tom had read Harry a bed time story. "Just one story. If you stay in bed I'll read you a story tomorrow night as well."

Incentives always worked on children.

Once Harry was changed and comfortably settled in his bed, Tom opened the book his young friend had handed over. Now that he had a hold of the book he was able to get a proper look at it. "The Tales of Beedle the Bard." Tom read out before opening the book up to the first story. "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot."

The story was definitely different from what he'd normally read for Harry. Then again it was a book meant for magical children so of course there would be magic involved with the stories.

Tom's words flowed gently and softly and soon enough Harry found himself nodding off. His eyes got heavier and after awhile Harry let out a small yawn and snuggled down into his pillow. By the time Tom was done with the story Harry was sound asleep and breathing slowly.

"You two act like brothers."

Standing in the doorway was Abraxas, his arms loosely crossed over his chest and his back leaning against the door frame. Tom had known exactly when the young Malfoy had stopped to listen in.

"I suppose we sort of are." Tom admitted as he lightly brushed Harry's bangs out of his face before getting off the bed. Thankfully Harry was so sound asleep he didn't stir. "We've been there for each other for years. It's been just the two of us since forever."

Abraxas didn't know what it was like to have siblings or to be without family. He could never able to know how Tom or Harry felt and he was envious of the love they had for each other.

"Good night Abraxas." Tom told the other pre-teen as he closed Harry's door.

The blonde hesitated. He had been hoping the two of them could spend some time alone once Harry was put to bed.

Tom could tell the other boy wanted something so he stopped and waited. When Abraxas didn't make the first move Tom made a decision.

The letter had told him to trust Abraxas, that the Malfoy wanted a friend, so Tom would give him the chance.

"Would you like to read with me for a bit?"

It wasn't Abraxas' favorite thing to do, but he nodded quickly and followed after the dark haired pre-teen quickly enough. Perhaps they could chat while they read before the both of them were forced to retire for the night.

Mrs. Malfoy found Abraxas and Tom hours later sitting in front of Tom's fireplace a book in each of their laps. The two boys were talking softly as they read and the entire scene left the mother feeling warm. She'd always wanted more children, but it wasn't exactly common for women her age to hvae children.

She hoped that perhaps Tom would one day consider the manor his home and the Malfoy's his family.

* * *

Special thanks to: Louise To, Maurey


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Pfffff I wish

A/N: Thanks for all the love guys! Don't forget to head over to my tumblr: Ethrildragon to find out more about future chapters and updates and stuff.

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 10: Hogwarts

The first summer with the Malfoy's went by quickly for Harry and Tom. Both boys ended up with extensive wardrobes, which Harry left at the Malfoy's, as well as a great many new belongings. Besides the outings that the family would go on, Tom's time was taken up with lessons on pureblood tradition and history with Mr. Malfoy and pureblood etiquette with Mrs. Malfoy.

For the most part Tom absorbed everything that was taught to him. Abraxas helped a great deal and by the time the gala the Malfoy's were throwing arrived Tom had been ready for anything. Harry had only been around for half the night, but when his bed time rolled around Mrs. Malfoy had escorted the younger boy up to his guest room.

During the gala Tom had gotten the chance to meet many others around his own age.

The group he had met at the gala were now sitting with him in the train compartment on the way to Hogwarts.

Winky Crockett, a second year that Tom had only barely met two days ago, was talking excitedly about trying out for the quidditch team that year. He lost interest in her almost immediately.

Instead Tom's attention was on the other purebloods that were in the compartment along with himself and Abraxas.

Sebastian Lestrange had a quiet intensity around him. He would have seemed like a perfectly poised young man, if not for the wild insanity that Tom would sometimes catch in those dark eyes. He was not someone that Tom would underestimate until he knew more about him. The only reason Tom even considered including the Lestrange boy in his future group was for his name and prestige.

Next to him, and at the other end of the spectrum, was Alf Mulciber. The boy had curly brown hair that curled around his temples. He laughed easily and would talk about anything really. In just the few brief hours that Tom had known him he'd learned that if anyone could gather information rapidly it was Alf Mulciber.

Tom wasn't sure what to think of the next boy among the first years. Mervyn Rowle was large for his age. He had been in attendance at the gala so Tom had gotten the chance to speak with him. The large boy hadn't really said much though. Half the time Tom was sure Rowle was an idiot, but then he would say something that was actually worth paying attention too.

Winky Crockett was saying something to him again and Tom quickly recalled all the things she'd been babbling about.

"I would think I would be sorted into Slytherin." The group had fallen into a discussion about the houses and what each first year was hoping to be sorted into. "I can't imagine being anywhere else."

There were several nods around the compartment and the next person was asked about their thoughts on the houses.

After reading about his own family and the obvious relation to Salazar Slytherin, Tom was sure there was zero chance he would be sorted into any other of the houses. He was a snake through and through.

Tom once again tuned out the conversation around him so he could retreat into his own thoughts.

"You're sulking." Abraxas mumbled from Tom's right side. The blond had a book in hand and was lightly turning the pages. It was a useful tactic to keep the rest of the group from bothering him.

"I do not sulk." Tom replied just as quietly. "One does not sulk when in the presence of others." It was one of the many lessons Mr. Malfoy had taught him.

With a roll of his eyes Abraxas looked at his friend. "You are though. And I know why." He mimed adjusting glasses and ran his fingers over his forehead.

"Harry has nothing to do with it."

Despite all the denials that Tom could make he knew Abraxas was right. He had seen Harry two days ago and already he was missing the boy. After an entire summer of practically living under the same roof, Tom had grown used to the happy atmosphere that followed Harry everywhere.

"You'll see him again come Christmas." When Mrs. Malfoy had made the invitation a little before the gala and Harry had instantly accepted. "School will keep you distracted and busy so you won't miss him too much. Besides, you two can still exchange letters."

As much as Tom wanted to glare at Abraxas he didn't. He couldn't exactly send letters to the future and he couldn't tell Abraxas about that.

In the last couple months Tom had gotten to know the youngest of the Malfoy's and, perhaps partially because of the letter, he had come to trust him to an extent. He wouldn't say they were close friends, but they were definitely on the right path.

Just the thought of friends had Tom thinking of Harry again. A tiny secret smile graced Tom's lips. Little did Abraxas know, Tom would be seeing Harry a lot sooner then Christmas. His thoughts moved from Harry after that to the contents of the books he'd recently finished.

"Ravenclaw!"

The rest of the train ride had gone quickly and soon enough all the first years found themselves standing in a line inside the great hall. Tom marveled at the beautiful ceiling with its reflection of the sky; it was the greatest feat of magic he had yet to see.

Now Tom was waiting in line with the rest of the first years waiting his turn to be sorted. There was a pause after the Droope girl hurried over to the table clad in blue. The silence made Tom look over to where Professor Dumbledore was looking at the list in his hands.

"Gaunt, Tom."

The old man's voice was tight and his eyes were narrowed as he looked straight at Tom.

Tom couldn't help but smile pleasantly right back. It must have been a rather shocking surprise for the bearded wizard; to see Tom's name had been changed from the muggle 'Riddle' name to such an old and pure name like 'Gaunt'.

Whispers filled the hall, but Tom simply lifted his head up and strode confidently up to the stool. The only eyes that disturbed him in the sea of gazes were the blue ones that were so close to him now.

"Well! It's been awhile since I sorted one of your talent."

The voice suddenly in his ears as the hat descended and obscured his sight made Tom jolt. He knew the hat could talk, he'd heard it call out several house sorts already, but he hadn't expected it to speak to him like this.

"Magic is all about surprises, heir of the Snake Lord."

There was a gentle fondness in those words that left Tom feeling curious.

"Curiosity is a good trait for Ravenclaws. It goes so well with the thirst for knowledge within you."

No. Ravenclaw was not for him. As much as Tom loved learning new things he knew it wouldn't be where he would grow the most.

"Quite right. Hmm...but I see a strong protectiveness in your mind. You have a fierce loyalty for those you deem worthy. You're a hard worker as well. Hufflepuff would make you strong."

That made Tom sneer a bit. Him? A Hufflepuff? He might as well eat his wand.

The hat couldn't help but chuckle at that thought coming from the young boy. "Alright, alright! No more games. I was only teasing. It is so rare I get to peak into a mind like yours. It's all there, inside your head. There is only one house that will help you on your path to greatness."

Tom expected the hat to proclaim his house, but it whispered one last thing to him. "Be wary. There is one that will do everything he can to stop you and the other from becoming the Lords you are destined to be."

"Slytherin!"

The hat was yanked from Tom's head before he had a chance to ask what the hat meant. The sudden light disoriented Tom and it took him a moment to realize the pounding in his ears was really loud clapping.

He quickly stood up and went over to the Slytherin table where he was congratulated politely by the few upper students he had met during the summer.

The first year line dwindled quickly and soon Abraxas took his seat to the right of Tom. "Yours took the longest." The Malfoy told Tom once the feast had started.

Tom didn't acknowledge Abraxas' words at first; he was too busy admiring the food selection. He figured if he hadn't been with the Malfoy's all summer so much food would have left him in shock.

"Did the hat want to sort you somewhere else?"

"Not really." Tom responded as he filled his plate with everything that took his fancy. "I think it was just fooling around."

"Never heard of the sorting hat doing that." Mulciber piped up from the other side of the table.

"Been sorted lots 'ave ya'?" It took Tom a moment to put a name to the face of the older student that had spoken up. The accent was heavy and definitely not one Tom could place right away.

Abraxas was able to fill in the blanks for Tom thankfully. "Well? Have you ever heard of the hat having conversations then Yaxley?"

Erwan Yaxley. Now that the name had been revealed Tom recalled the list of important families that Mr. Malfoy had insisted he memorize. Erwan Yaxley was a 6th year and from a family of Highland Scotts. The Yaxley family was distantly related to the Malfoy's through the Black lineage.

Yaxley sniffed a bit and then let out a small huff. It must have only dawned on him that he had interrupted the conversation of first years when he himself was a prefect in his 6th year.

"Had a conversation with me din' it." He told the first years with all seriousness. "Wanted ta sort me inta Ravenclaw. Told the ol hat I wouldna be in anything but Slytherin." Yaxley smiled proudly at that before turning away from the younger students to show he had clearly dropped the subject.

The conversation waned a bit as the students became determined to enjoy their food. Tom had relaxed considerably as he enjoyed the slice of roast he had taken for himself. He was halfway done with his plate when a shiver went through him.

Tom would never claim to be sensitive, not in the way that Harry was, but he knew what it felt like to have someone watching him. His survival instincts were too honed to ignore any warning signs. So when he felt that cold shudder he instantly looked around to find the source.

His own eyes met with the sharp blue of Professor Dumbledore's and Tom found he couldn't look away. After a moment of feeling trapped the older wizard looked away to answer something one of the other professors had asked.

Tom let out a breath of relief and decided he would never meet that man's gaze again.

Only one person had noticed the cold interaction between Tom and the head of the Gryffindor house. Abraxas hadn't liked how Professor Dumbledore had been staring at his friend. He determined he would need to send a letter to his father as quickly as possible.

At the end of the feast Headmaster Dippet stood, a warm and large smile spread across his face. "Such wonderful food for our first night back. I hope your bellies are plenty full and that all of you sleep well. For tomorrow will be the start of your lessons for the year and it's always best to start off such journeys with fresh minds."

He waved a hand and the empty dessert plates emptied. "Follow your prefects now and have a good night."

The scrape of benches being pushed back and students talking with each other filled the hall. Tom glanced back at the head table, but quickly looked away when the searching eyes of Dumbledore almost met his own.

There wasn't much Tom could do about Professor Dumbledore, so he focused on the things he did have control over. Like getting down to his new dorm and getting some rest.

"I do not like him." Ophion hissed into Tom's ear under the chatter of the other students."He is like a cat stalking its prey."

With all the other students around him Tom could only smirk ever so slightly. Only Abraxas, out of everyone in the school, knew of his parseltounge ability. Under the helpful advice of Mr. Malfoy, Tom had elected to keep that talent secret until absolutely necessary.

It was a very good thing Ophion was a simple garter snake and could hide in the collar of his shirt.

If Tom couldn't have Harry with him, then at least he would have Ophion to keep him fairly calm and sane; if only because he enjoyed the black snakes offers to bite whomever Tom was displeased with.

The dark haired boy didn't get a chance to explore the school until three days into the start of his first year. The first years didn't really have classes on the 7th floor so finding an excuse to go up there had been difficult. The best he could come up with was sneaking away during lunch and having Ophion keeping an eye out for a certain blue eyed professor that had a strange habit of showing up wherever Tom ended up going.

Even with the two clues that he had gotten from his and Harry's first letters, Tom still had no idea what he was looking for. He had yet to inquire about a Barnabas, Tom knew for sure none of the Professors were named Barnabas, but he at least had a few people he could ask if he needed to.

The first thing he needed to do was scout where he could on the 7th floor and learn the layout.

"I smell someone coming." Ophion warned his young companion quickly when half of the lunch hour had passed.

Worried that the person in question was Dumbledore, Tom quickly changed his direction and strode quickly for the one room he was certain of.

"Tom Riddle."

With the use of his old last name Tom was sure the person that his snake had smelled was in fact the blue eyed wizard that frightened his dearest friend.

"Respectfully Professor," Tom had to remind himself to at least appear respectful and cordial. "My name is Tom Gaunt now."

Even though Dumbledore smiled and nodded, Tom could tell the gesture was fake.

"What are you doing wandering around up here Tom?" Dumbledore asked lightly. He was still smiling, but Tom knew that the man was trying to catch him in a lie.

"Finding my way around the school. Professor Mulberry said his office was on the 7th floor so I wanted to find it in case I ever had questions about Charms." It was close enough to the truth that Tom had little fear of Dumbledore figuring out if he was telling the truth or not.

Dumbledore's twinkling blue eyes stared into Tom sharply. There were no signs of the boy telling a fib.

"Be that as it may, you shouldn't be skipping meals my boy."

Internally Tom bristled at being called 'my boy' by the older wizard. It felt wrong and the words felt like claws trying to scrape through his mind. All he could do though was nod to appease the transfiguration professor.

"Come along. We still have some time to get some tarts." Tom forced a small smile as the professor chuckled warmly as if they were sharing some sort of joke between them.

Tom would need a new plan to explore the 7th floor. Something that would keep the batty old man from bothering him.

Luckily Tom came upon the chance not a day later when he had actual questions about his charms homework. He didn't run into Professor Dumbledore, but he did meet the Arithmancy professor who was leaving her classroom. The two got to talking and when Tom showed an interest in the class he was invited to join the woman for tea.

When Dumbledore caught Tom the next Saturday heading up for the 7th floor he was able to confirm that he was meeting Professor Nester. Tom couldn't help the smile when Dumbledore escorted him to the Arithmancy Professor's office only for her to say yes, they had planned to have tea.

It was through Professor Nester that Tom was able to learn some interesting things about the school and the other professors. Apparently the Slytherin alumni didn't much like Professor Dumbledore.

She was also the one that showed Tom the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy. When Tom spoke with the portrait in private he wouldn't stop talking about walking in a circle three times while wishing on stars.

Tom was starting to feel a little desperate by Wednesday. He'd explored all of the 7th floor and had yet to find a room that would be perfect for a secret meeting with Harry. His friend would be showing up Saturday at 10am, sometime after breakfast, and Tom didn't want to take the chance of meeting the boy either in the Slytherin dorms or where Dumbledore could walk in on them.

He was storming around the 7th floor when he noticed something odd about the floor.

Most of the time the cobblestones were about the same size and square in shape, but there was one across from Barnabas' portrait that was circular.

The 11 year old had a quick mind and paced through the circle three times to see if anything would happen. When nothing did he stopped to glare at the circular stone in the floor.

The letters had been very specific about 'needing' to find a safe place. Barnabas wouldn't stop talking about making wishes.

With a deep breath Tom walked through the circular stone three times, each time wishing for a place he and Harry could meet safely and would not be found by anyone.

At his third pass Tom was startled to find a door in the wall that had not previously been there.

Magic was amazing, but Tom had read in quite a few books how it could be dangerous if you didn't know its purpose. But he'd also read, in Hogwarts a History, that the magic within the school had been designed to keep the students safe.

With that in mind Tom pressed down on the door's latch and pushed. He didn't need more than a moment of time to grin at what he found.

The room beyond the door was perfect.

For the rest of the week Tom followed the schedule he had created along with his school schedule. Dumbledore would still pop up once in awhile, but Tom had no reason to lie to him.

Finally the second Saturday of the year dawned. Being the morning person he was, Tom was up and down to breakfast at about 7am. He figured he'd go to the library for a couple hours before Harry arrived to get some studying in.

"You're too studious Tom." Abraxas said around a yawn. He was pushing his eggs around on his plate and not actually paying attention while he ate. "School's only been going on for a couple weeks and you've already befriended a bunch of professors and gotten most of your homework and reading down for the term."

The blond grumbled for awhile after that about how his parents were now expecting him to do just as well as Tom.

"Harry did try to warn you." Abraxas only moaned again before finally eating the food he'd been idly poking at. Tom was mostly done eating and was now reading out of one of his text books. He still had time to go to the room he had found.

Ever so slightly Tom rotated his right arm and felt the press of Harry's wand in the second holster he had. His own wand was attached to the holster on his left arm. He didn't want to take the risk of running out of time to get back down to his dorms to grab the second wand.

"I'll be in the library to find a few books. Then I'll probably find a quiet room somewhere to study and practice." Tom told Abraxas as he stood up. If anyone came looking for Tom they would probably as the Malfoy boy where he had gone.

Abraxas only groaned and waved a hand to acknowledge that he had hard his friend.

Tom, being the studious student he was portraying himself to be, reminded Abraxas he still had a report for potions to write. That just earned Tom a glare, but at least he'd assured Abraxas would be busy doing something as well.

The last couple hours that Tom needed to kill were spent in the Library, grabbing any books that would be of use for him and Harry. Most were on magical theory and anything that was even remotely related to time magic.

The Malfoy library had been immensely useful for Tom and Harry, but there were a few books here that Tom hadn't seen yet. He couldn't wait for when he would finally have permission to get into the restricted section; Tom was sure there were books there that would have exactly what he needed.

Unfortunately, any information on time travel he found was linked to dark magic and the contents of Hogwart's library seemed to be focused on light magic and a few on the grey magic that separated the two extremes.

It left Tom wanting more. He understood the differences between the three types of magic, thanks to the book his letter had recommended, and he knew that Light and Dark magic were not inherently good or evil. It was how they were used.

Some light spells could easily kill people while several dark spells were extremely useful for healing. It was ridiculous to Tom how people could be separated into the three areas, but the book had explained how magic cores worked better with one of the three types.

The book had also included a ritual that would allow anyone with a magic core to find out what kind of magic they worked best with. Tom himself had a core that was connected with dark magic. They had found Harry was strongly connected with light magic. Out of curiosity they'd checked Abraxas as well and had found he was firmly placed in the middle of both types so his core was grey in nature.

That didn't mean Harry couldn't use dark magic or Tom couldn't use light magic. They just had to work harder with their opposites. The book had been very clear about how a witch or wizard would become exponentially stronger if they could learn to work with the opposite of their natural alignment.

Those were Tom's thoughts as he studied for a couple hours in the library before moving on to the 7th floor so he could get the room ready. He'd made sure to put all the books and his notes in his bottomless back.

"Mr. Riddle, where are you going?"

Tom had to fight not to groan in frustration when he heard the annoying voice of Professor Dumbledore spoke up behind him. Tom had only just left the library.

"Hello Professor." He pasted on a respectful smile. "I'm just going to find a quiet room to study and practice in. I want to make sure proficient in the spells I've learned so far." He so wanted to correct the ridiculous old man about his name, but he wanted to avoid any more attention from Dumbledore.

Dumbledore nodded and rubbed at beard. "Very good of you Tom. I wish all my students would work as hard as you do."

It was blatant flattery so Tom did the one thing he knew any other student would do; he smiled. It was a good thing he was suspicious and paranoid by nature, otherwise he might have fallen for Dumbledore's obvious manipulation.

"Where are you headed?"

It was too much to hope that Dumbledore would drop the subject and just let Tom go. "Professor Mulberry's office. I wanted to talk to him about the theory behind the spells he assigned to us this week."

Dumbledore was walking next to him as Tom made his way for the stairs at a leisurely pace. He'd left himself almost an hour to get up to the room he had found, but if Dumbledore escorted him all the way then Tom would be forced to talk to Professor Mulberry for awhile.

Thankfully Dumbledore left him at the before Tom made it up to the 7th floor, but not before chatting with Tom over the transfiguration spell they had been working on during class.

Perhaps Tom should plan to visit Dumbledore during the week sometime to build up some sort of trust. If he was able to convince the manipulative man that he was just very interested in his education then perhaps Dumbledore wouldn't be so suspicious.

It was something Tom would need to think about for later. For now he hurried to the circle on the floor and paced through it three times.

Once the door was there, and Ophion had confirmed no one was around to see him, Tom went inside.

It was as Tom had left it. There were mirrors lining the walls, various desks and tables with tools, books, and ingredients stacked up on them. There was even a blackboard to one side for Tom to write on if he wished.

To one side of the room was a door that led to another smaller room that had a fireplace and some comfortable couches where he and Harry could relax after practicing.

While he waited for Harry to appear, and worrying about whether or not the boy could because of all the wards around Hogwarts, Tom prepared the room. He made a list of spells he and Harry would work on onto the blackboard, set the books out on tables, and set out his notes for Harry to review if he needed.

Right at 10 o'clock Harry appeared in front of Tom. He looked a little out of breath, but the boy was smiling brightly.

"Tom!"

Tom soon had his arms full of a happy and laughing small boy. His wild black hair got into Tom's face, but he didn't care. All he cared about was holding Harry close and convincing himself that this was real and not just a very good dream.

"Are you alright?" Tom asked after a few minutes of the two of them just holding each other. The two weeks of separation had been hard on both of them. The older boy was at least safe at Hogwarts, but Harry still had to deal with his neglectful family.

For a moment Harry hesitated before nodding. The frown and narrowing of Tom's eyes had Harry sighing and shuffling his feet around. "The Dursleys are mad at me, but it's not my fault I'm smarter than Dudley!"

'Ah.' Tom thought as he sighed deeply and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. Harry's relatives were being difficult because the younger boy was upstaging his cousin.

"The school wants to move me up a couple grades, but that would make me a year ahead of Dudley."

"They shouldn't have kept you from school in the first place." It was an old argument that Tom and Harry would have. The Dursleys had held Harry back with the excuse that he would be 'too little' to properly learn anything.

Harry shrugged and reached up to fiddle with his hair. "Madam LeRue is agreeing with the school. I don't think the Dursleys like being told to let me advance."

"Smart woman." Even though he had never met the social worker, Tom liked her. He liked how Harry described her strict and professional manner. "Did you have breakfast?"

The only thing the room did not have was food. So if Harry was hungry Tom would need to get some of the food he'd stored in his bag for Harry. It was all pre-packaged stuff, but it was food.

Thankfully Harry nodded and even reached into the bag he'd brought himself to pull out an apple. "The Dursleys went out today so I grabbed some food for lunch." The younger boy was still in the habit of grabbing food whenever he could just in case he didn't have access later.

It was a good habit to have, in Tom's opinion, and it had saved the two a few times before they had moved in with the Malfoy's.

"What are we doing today?" Harry asked quickly and excitedly. He had read through the books he'd taken home. Doing the spells without his wand had been extremely difficult, but he had enjoyed making things float around his room once he'd gotten the hang of the Leviosa spell.

With a smile Tom pointed over at the blackboard. "I made a list." he then removed Harry's wand and handed it to him.

Harry's eyes lit up and he took his wand back quickly. Ladon lifted his head from Harry's wrist and reached out to flick his tongue over the wood handle. Taking the wand in his hand was almost as wonderful a feeling as seeing Tom again.

The two began working on the spells Tom had learned in the two weeks since school started. They only stopped for lunch, and to read cuddled up on the couch, before getting back to it. While Harry worked with his wand, Tom elected to practice without his. It brought their ability levels closer together.

Neither boy could stop smiling until it was finally time for Harry to head back to the Dursley's. To keep people from being suspicious of what Tom was doing, Harry would only visit on Saturday's which left Tom to be social on Sunday's.

"I miss Abraxas." Harry said sadly when the evening finally caught up to them. He wasn't perfect with the spells Tom had taught to him, but he had a copy of Tom's notes to take with him back to the Dursley's.

Tom sucked in his breath and looked at the sad expression on Harry's face. Jealousy reared up for a moment and all Tom could feel was the need to keep everyone away from Harry. The small boy was his and he was loathe to share him. But over the summer Harry had grown close to the young Malfoy and Tom knew if he tried to deny that friendship it would hurt Harry.

"Maybe...maybe I'll talk to Abraxas later." Tom said slowly. They wouldn't have to necessarily admit that Harry was time traveling. They could say they had found a way to sneak Harry into the school every Saturday. It was well known the school was full of secret tunnels and passageways.

It was something to consider for later though. Two weeks was not enough time to have found a secret passage out of the school.

The offer to tell Abraxas had Harry smiling brightly and the small boy was hugging Tom again. "You don't have too. I know you still don't fully trust him."

Even though there was no sadness or other negative emotions in those words, Tom knew Harry was still sad. One of them had to be careful though.

Tom ran his fingers through Harry's hair as he sighed. He'd figure out something.

For the last few minutes the two were together, they said nothing and only held each other. They had to wait for Ophion and Ladon to get back from their explorations before Harry could go back to his time. The younger boy's wand was back on Tom's arm and there things were all packed away in their bags.

"Be safe. I'll see you next week." Tom told Harry as the smaller boy picked up Ladon as the small snake hissed up at him.

"I will! Love you Tom!"

And then Harry was gone with a smile and a small wave.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own it.

A/N: Honestly I felt like this chapter rambled on longer than it should have. I tried to cut out some things to make it flow better, but I'm not completely happy with it. I've re-written it several times, but if I took anymore time I knew I would never be satisfied. So here's chapter 11. Even though I dislike it so.

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 11: Winter Holidays

For months Harry would visit Tom on Saturday's and they would practice their magic together. Since the younger only had 1 day a week to learn everything Tom had learned in a week it was slow going. Tom on the other hand was looking ahead in their text books and working on spells that were more advance. Once in awhile they would work on potions together, especially the ones that Tom had found that would help Harry in case he was ever in trouble.

Each time he visited, Harry would ask about Abraxas and about how he was doing. Tom was still hesitating on whether or not he should tell the Malfoy boy about Harry's secret visits, but his resolve to keep the sweet small boy to himself was weakening.

Tom was able to stay strong and fight against Harry's big green eyes until December rolled around. By then Tom was able to reason with Harry to wait to tell Abraxas until after the holidays.

The last Saturday before break Tom and Harry were working on a type of summoning spell that also acted like a locator spell.

"I was able to go to Diagon Alley yesterday." Harry told Tom as he watched the older boy work at the spell without his wand. It was a difficult spell to hold and focus on and it required quite a bit of magic to maintain it. Luckily the room was small enough they didn't have to hold the spell for long. To make up for the lack of distance one of the boy's would hold onto an object at the other end of the room to keep it from flying right away to the other.

"Yeah? By yourself?" Tom asked once Harry let go of the pillow Tom had been attempting to summon. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead and he had to take a moment to catch his breath after catching the pillow.

Harry nodded and picked up the next pillow for Tom to call for. "Aunt Petunia took me. I took the Knight Bus back."

They'd learned all about the Knight Bus while at the Malfoy's. It was probably Harry's favorite mode of transportation. It was also the only one Harry could take without relying on another wizard. Thankfully the younger boy had enough magic that he didn't need a wand to summon the bus.

"She left you in London?" Tom frowned and his hands became fists at his sides. He wanted to be angry over the neglect, but he was tired from how much wandless magic he'd been using.

Harry shrugged a bit. "I told her I didn't need a ride home. She did offer." The boy knew his aunt had only offered because of the threat of Madam LeRue.

Tom hummed softly. He was still upset that Harry's aunt had left a 7 year old alone in London, but at least she hadn't been completely irresponsible. All that would change as soon as Harry was old enough to stay in the past.

Summoning the last pillow wore Tom out completely and the two settled on the couch in the second room. They had tea to drink and sandwiches that Harry had brought.

"So why did you go to Diagon Alley?" Tom asked once he had enough strength to do so.

A sneaky smile appeared on Harry's lips and he tried, and failed, to make himself look innocent. "No reason." The skeptical raise of Tom's brow broke Harry and he let out a strangled sigh. "Fiiiiine! I was buying Christmas gifts!"

"I told you Abraxas's parents were going to take us shopping during break." Tom was all frowns. "Going by yourself for a reason like shopping was dangerous Harry. What if someone tried to kidnap you? Or hurt you?" Not to mention they had to be careful about what Harry brought back from the future.

Harry flopped over on the couch and sighed again. "I'm not a little kid Tom! I went in the middle of the day and stayed close to families." It was something he and Tom had worked out in the past whenever they'd left the orphanage and wandered around shops.

When Harry sat up his long bangs flopped over into his eyes and he pushed them aside with a huff.

"Your hair is getting really long again." Tom let the subject of Harry's shopping trip go for the time being. Instead he reached over to play with Harry's naturally messy locks.

"Stoooop!" Harry complained as he tried to push Tom's hand out of the way. "You know I like my hair long! It covers my scar."

Honestly Tom liked Harry's scar. Whenever he looked at it or touched it Tom always felt a warmth fill him.

Out of curiosity Tom had looked up magical symbols. Lightning bolt symbols appeared in many different cultures and had many meanings magically. Tom particularly liked the one where it represented the sun. In magic it meant boundless energy, wholeness of the spirit, clear vision, and even hope. It fit Harry so well that Tom wondered if the scar had more meaning.

Harry continued to try and get away from Tom's hands, which had moved on from playing with Harry's hair to tickling his sides.

For several long minutes Tom attacked relentlessly, forcing Harry to squeal loudly and flail around. The two boys ended up on the floor with Harry trapped under Tom and breathing heavily.

Tom sat back victoriously and crossed his arms over his chest. "I win yet another tickle fight."

"You cheated!" Harry cried out as he sat up on his elbows. "You didn't even warn me!"

With a wiggle of a finger Tom disagreed. "You have to be prepared for an attack at all times! You never know when a situation will change."

"I guess." Harry looked contemplative before his emerald green eyes twinkled. He reached up to try and tickle at Tom's sides only for the older boy to swat the reaching hands away. "See! You cheat!"

"No, you're just predictable."

Tom eventually got up from where he was straddling Harry's hips and helped the younger boy up, but only after he'd lectured Harry about being more observant.

"Dinner will be soon." Harry was looking down at the beat up old watch on his wrist. "I suppose I should head back." His eyes were big as he looked up at Tom. "Couldn't I just sleep here for the night? I won't leave this room, I promise!"

As tempting as it was for Tom to say yes, he knew Harry couldn't stay. Tom had made plans with his house mates tomorrow and if he tried to cancel they would only ask questions. If Harry stayed the night Tom would be tempted to stay with him and that would definitely raise some red flags with the other students in his dorm.

So with a sad sigh and shake of his head Tom told Harry no.

"The train leaves Monday anyway Harry. Have you wrapped your presents yet?" When Harry shook his head Tom chuckled. "Spend tomorrow doing that. We'll see each other Monday night."

It had been planned, with the help of Abraxas' parents, that they would go and 'pick up' Harry at the tree after Tom and Abraxas had been picked up at platform 9 3/4.

Harry and Tom were sure Harry would be fine staying the entire break without needing to go back to his time. It'd be stretching his strength, but Tom had found a ritual that would allow him to pass some of his energy over to Harry to give him more power.

When Harry tried to argue about staying, Tom put his foot down and told Harry sternly to head back. He hated being serious with Harry, but he was the older of the two so it was up to Tom to be the mature one.

Still, sending Harry off like that had left a bad taste in Tom's mouth and he snapped a little more than he intended when he went down for dinner.

For the last few months the majority of Slytherin had been at least polite with him. He was a Gaunt, one of the sacred 28, but he was also a half-blood and somehow that little tidbit had gotten around. Tom suspected Dumbledore had let it slip.

There were also some people that knew the Gaunt family hadn't simply become hermits, but that for the last few generations they'd gone a little crazy due to inbreeding.

So there were a few people that, even though they seemed polite, were dismissive of Tom. The little snubs and jabs bothered Tom, but he was used to worse.

That night though, with him being in a bad mood with himself, the 'polite' jab from one third year sent him over the edge.

"You know Parkinson," Tom's voice was scarily smooth and delicate as he looked at her with his darkening eyes. "Professor Mulberry asked me to help you with your Charms work, but seeing as how you're so far behind I doubt even my help would make a difference." He altered his voice to sound apologetic and filled it with as much pity as he could fake.

Everyone knew Tom was ahead of his year, that he had probably finished all of his homework for the year, and that he was learning things from the professors during private tutoring sessions. It wouldn't be hard to assume he already knew things that 2nd and 3rd years might know.

The Parkinson girl flushed brightly. The red color was unflattering and came out in splotches over her cheeks.

"You're in a mood." Abraxas commented once Tom was seated between the Malfoy and Mulciber.

"She's been on my nerves all year." He did feel better after jabbing Parkinson so that was at least a plus.

Alf nodded. "She needs to learn her place. No intelligence and no looks, the only good thing about her is her bloodline." He rolled his eyes a little. "She's been trying to cuddle up to all the noble families. Probably looking to catch herself a good match for when she graduates."

"My father has already turned down a courtship request." Abraxas sneered at that and rolled his eyes. "Hasn't stopped her from trying to be coy and flirty with me. Disgusting really."

Tom was at least thankful that he wouldn't have to deal with any sort of relationships for some time. A Gaunt he might be, but there were still a great many rumors that his family had very little power.

Little did anyone know Tom had a great deal of money thanks to his 'mysterious' benefactors and quite a few seats within the Wizengamot thanks to his inheritance.

He had a lot more power than just his name.

"Is your family still hosting a Christmas party Malfoy?" Mulciber asked now that they were done discussing Parkinson.

"Of course." Abraxas lifted his head proudly. "Tom will be staying with us as well. It should be a very pleasant Christmas."

Several of the boys began discussing the various things that they and their families would be doing over the winter break. Tom joined in when he was asked a question, but otherwise he chose to listen and smile charmingly.

At one point Winky chimed in and invited the group to her winter home in Southern Italy. Both Abraxas and Tom politely turned her down since the Malfoy family had already made plans. The girl looked a little disappointed, but Tom turned his most charming smile on her and promised to write her a letter. That made her smile.

Tom wasn't remotely interested in Winky, but her family had investments in several companies that imported and exported a variety of potion and spell components. If Tom was ever going to gain influence he would need allies in all areas.

Although Tom didn't encourage Winky's flirting, he was at least cordial and pretended to be friendly with her.

"Can you believe how much homework we've been assigned to work on over the break?" And with that the discussion shifted once more.

For all of Sunday and Monday on the train ride back to London, Tom played his role of charming classmate. As soon as he and Abraxas were free of their 'friends' and with the elder Malfoy's he was able to finally drop his facade and just relax.

"It is good to see you two." Mrs. Malfoy lightly hugged her son and then Tom once they were apparated to the tree where they would pick up Harry as well. "I hope the train ride was comfortable."

"It was fine mother. Though I do wish the Parkinson girl would give up her advances on me." Abraxas had written his father about the entire situation with the girl several times, as well as his suspicions about Dumbledore.

"I'll speak with the girls family." Was all Mr. Malfoy was able to say before the sound of small feet running through the snow interrupted him.

With an 'oof' Tom tumbled over as he was tackled by his closest friend. He hadn't been expecting Harry to actually tackle him like that, but he figured it was Harry's way of getting revenge for not being allowed to stay Sunday.

The younger boy was all smiles though when he lifted his head to look up at Tom.

Tom's heart stopped for a moment as those green eyes sparkled up at him. His fingers twitched as he fought the urge to brush the snow out of Harry's messy black hair.

Mrs. Malfoy was giggling softly at the sight while Mr. Malfoy was obviously fighting the urge to smirk at the antics.

"Where's my hug?" Abraxas complained with a whine, which earned him a scowl from his father that he ignored.

Harry climbed free from Tom's arms, which had instinctively gone around Harry when they'd fallen into the snow, and gave Abraxas a tight hug as well.

"Well! let's head to the manor shall we? Get you boys out of your wet clothes and in front of a fire with hot chocolate." Mrs. Malfoy giggled again as Abraxas helped Tom up. "We have a lot of work ahead of us to prepare for the Solstice!"

Abraxas had explained things to Tom some time ago, but it had slipped Tom's mind to tell Harry about the different Christmas traditions that the Malfoy family followed.

"Solstice?"

It was well known that Mrs. Malfoy was infatuated with Harry's innocent cuteness. The one word had her smiling and cooing at the young boy as they arrived at the Malfoy manor and the house elves were asked to get some hot chocolate made.

"We follow the old traditions dear. During Winter Solstice, or Yule, we commune with Mother Magic and ask her to rejuvenate our magic for the coming year." She helped Harry out of his thick scarf and even took up a seat next to him while Tom sat on his other side. "During the day friends and family gather for singing, eating, and merriment. The hosts give their guests Yule logs to burn for their private rituals. Then, in the evening, we set our own yule log ablaze and offer tributes to Mother magic. We thank her for being with us as the light dims and the dark grows and we ask her to bless us as the light begins growing in strength once more."

"You'll get to run around and take offerings from all the guests for the ritual bonfire." Abraxas almost sounded envious. "You and all the little kids under 11." Last year had been Abraxas last year collecting the offerings. "They'll also give you sweets and treats."

Mr. Malfoy shook his head a little at his son's barely concealed jealousy. "You and Tom will get to go into the ancient forest with me to gather the mistletoe and yule logs Abraxas. And you'll get to help with the wreaths and welcoming the nature spirits."

That calmed Abraxas down a bit as he considered the more adult responsibilities that he was being given.

There were other things about the solstice that Tom had studied up on. Dark magic was always stronger the closer Winter Solstice came while light magic always became stronger the closer they got to Summer Solstice. It was during the midnight hour of both days when all types of magic were equal with each other.

If Tom was to believe the myths and legends of the ancient holidays, it was also a time when one could look past the veil and learn ancient secrets from the gods. Certain rituals, spells, and potions couldn't even be done until the midnight hour of a Solstice.

The ash from the yule log made a potent potion ingredient and an extremely useful tool during rituals.

Tom was really looking forward to participating in his first real ritual celebration. Abraxas had told him about Samhain with his family, but Hogwarts had followed more of the muggle traditions. Despite that though Dippet had allowed a bonfire for those that followed the old ways. Tom had felt how the magic swelled and he had sworn he had heard the whispers of the spirits that existed just past the veil.

Now though he'd see a ritual done correctly and he'd get to participate.

"The yule log stays lit for 12 days and on the 12th day we extinguish the flames and gather the ashes." Mrs. Malfoy was still explaining how things would happen to Harry.

He seemed a little sad though. He had been looking forward to giving everyone the gifts he had bought. It'd taken a lot of the allowance he'd withdrawn for himself so Harry had ended up going to Gringotts for a little extra money.

"The morning after Yule we exchange gifts." Abraxas told Harry with a big grin. He looked rather pleased with himself, as if he had found the perfect gift for Harry already.

Mrs. Malfoy smiled and nodded. "We'll go shopping tomorrow. You boys can go and get your gifts for each other while I do some errands." She and her husband had already bought the boys their gifts so any shopping was mostly for the solstice or were just little things that would make the holiday all the better.

Harry's excitement returned. He and Tom had exchanged gifts over the years, and Harry had even made little things for the few adults in his life that were actually nice to him, but this would probably be the first time Harry would get to have a Christmas in a family setting.

The Malfoy's explained more about the solstice celebrations for some time after that until Harry started nodding off and his empty hot chocolate mug almost fell out of his hands. With a chuckle Mr. Malfoy picked the sleeping boy up and carried him up to the guest room while Mrs. Malfoy shooed Tom and Abraxas off to their own beds.

When they went out shopping the next day Tom found he had a bit of a problem. He didn't want Harry to leave his side, but at the same time he couldn't exactly buy the young boy his Christmas gift while he was standing right there.

Thankfully Mrs. Malfoy had a solution that Tom agreed with grudgingly. Harry would go with her while Tom and Abraxas did their own shopping separately.

"Mrs. Malfoy?" Harry asked as the two wandered around the apothecary shop so the woman could buy a few extra potion ingredients for the ritual.

"Yes dear?" Even if she wasn't looking at the boy she was still paying attention to him whenever Harry spoke up.

For a moment Harry struggled with what he wanted to ask. Up to that point he'd never actually been alone with the woman.

"Why are you so nice to me and Tom?" He finally was able to mumble out. Harry's eyes were on the floor and his fingers were knotting together behind his back as he fidgeted nervously.

Mrs. Malfoy looked down at the little boy and her heard twisted. He looked almost frightened to ask her, but she could tell he needed to know.

Setting the jar down back on the shelf for a moment, Mrs. Malfoy knelt down in front of Harry. "This is just between you and me alright?" She whispered as she brushed his bangs out of his face so Harry would look at her. "My husband and I don't really talk about it...but some things happened years ago."

With a sigh Mrs. Malfoy made her purchases and then led Harry out of the store to the ice cream parlor. Once the boy had his scoop of enchanted ice cream she placed a notice me not spell up around their table.

"We had a daughter once, years before Abraxas was born." There was an old pain in her eyes as she spoke. "She was born during the last war while Drake and I were on vacation in France. We were both so young when we married and she was born within the year." It'd taken years for her to recover from her grieving. "The little town we were in was attacked. Drake and I were separated. There was so much chaos and the smoke! Putrid yellow smoke was everywhere. It knocked out so many witches and wizards. When I-" her voice broke and for a moment she was back there, in that small french town as it filled with the muggle gas that would disorient witches and wizards and make their magic almost negligible. "When I came too she was gone."

Many children had gone missing in such ways. The gas would knock out a witch or wizard and make them appear dead. It was theorized that the babies and children would react with accidental magic to protect themselves and that muggles would find the crying children and babies and take them away.

Mrs. Malfoy took a deep breath to steady herself. "My husband and I searched for years to find her. In our search we found dozens of other children that had lost their families. We couldn't just leave them to fend for themselves so we took them in. We swore on our magics that we would never turn away a child in need."

Harry silently ate his ice cream as he watched Mrs. Malfoy with big eyes.

"It was our hope that maybe another wizard family found our little Orianne and cared for her as we have for all the children we took in."

Mrs. Malfoy smiled sadly, but warmly at the wide eyed little boy across from her. "No child should ever have to suffer Hadrian. You're a sweet boy and deserve a safe and loving home."

That made the 7 year old blush a bit and he quickly made himself busy with his sweet treat.

"Now. How would you like to help me pick out a few more gifts for everyone?"

Everyone was able to get their shopping done by lunch and Mrs. Malfoy insisted they go to a little bistro that was out of the way over in Flamborough. When they made it back to the manor Tom and Abraxas scurried off to their rooms to wrap what they had bought while Mrs. Malfoy insisted on Harry staying with her to bake cookies.

When the day of the solstice arrived the manor and the grounds around it had been transformed. The grounds were covered in snow with fairy lights twinkling and floating over the frozen pond. Every window in the manor had a candle flickering brightly and merrily.

Garlands of evergreen branches were hung over each doorway and under each window. At night fireflies would gather in the garlands and twinkle gently through the green needles.

Inside the manor were even more garlands strung up along the walls and wrapped around the banister, mistletoe and holly weaved into the garlands. The entire manor smelled of baking cookies and hot chocolate.

"You two ready to go get the yule logs?" Mr. Malfoy asked as he waited at the front door for Abraxas and Tom to join him. The first of the guests would be arriving in a few hours and they needed to get the logs to give to the guests.

Harry wished he could go with Tom, but Mrs. Malfoy had told him several times that it was tradition for the younger children to stay home and welcome guests by accepting their gifts and ritual offerings. It wouldn't do for Harry to be away from the manor if the first guest arrived early.

As Mrs. Malfoy predicted, the guests started arriving well before the trio returned with the yule logs. The Blacks were the first to arrive, seeing as how they seemed to be the closest related to the Malfoy's, and Harry took their offerings just as Mrs. Malfoy had taught him.

Orion Black joined Harry in collecting the offerings, seeing as how he was 9, which gave Harry someone to talk to while Tom was away with Abraxas.

The majority of the offerings were bundles of herbs that were meant to be burned in the bonfire. Some guests had gems or little packages that Harry was half tempted to open.

Finally Tom, Abraxas, and Mr. Malfoy returned with a huge stack of logs floating behind them.

The party itself lasted for hours. The children over 11 years old helped with making wreaths that would be wrapped around the yule logs to be given out, the few younger children running around to collect offerings or receiving treats from the adults, and the adults socializing or helping with the last of the ritual preparations.

As time passed the ambient magic in the air built to such high levels that Harry felt light headed and giddy. At some point Tom had to literally hold onto Harry so he wouldn't rush off back to the snack table for more treats.

"The cookies are so good Tom!" Harry whined softly as he tugged at his hand, which was being held tightly by Tom. "Just one more?"

"You'll ruin your dinner at this rate." Tom admonished as he shook his head with a fond smile. The magic in the air was getting so strong that even Tom could feel it, which meant Harry was being affected even more.

Thankfully dinner was served soon after that and Tom was able to distract Harry with actual food rather than the treats that had been set out.

"Do you see that Tom?" Harry whispered at one point and pointed up into the air. When Tom looked he didn't see anything, but Harry was mumbling about little colorful balls of light winking in and out. The Malfoy's had told the boys about how nature spirits would be invited into the home during the solstice so it wouldn't surprise the older boy if that was what Harry was seeing those spirits.

At the end of the night the guests left, each family taking one of the yule logs that had been prepared and the Malfoy's were left with just a few close relatives to join them with their own bonfire.

Harry was almost completely out of it as the elder Malfoys and Blacks began setting the ritual offerings around the yule log. The runes that had been drawn around the bonfire were glowing and Harry wasn't sure if he should be looking at the magic that was gathering on the yule log or at the glowing and fluttering lights.

The lights from the spirits and the runes were starting to blur together for Harry. Something was whispering to him as his head spun. The words were indistinct, but the voice felt familiar. It was sweet, warm, and reminded Harry of Mrs. Malfoy whenever she was saying goodnight.

It was a good thing that Harry was leaning against Tom for support, otherwise he would have toppled over when the magic thickened and pooled in and around the yule log as Mr. Malfoy lit it with a flick of his wand.

Multiple voices joined the one that had been whispering to Harry, each vying for his attention. Still, he could not make out a single word that was being said.

"Everything is done for the night." Mrs. Malfoy said softly once the ritual offerings were burning along with the yule log. Her eyes were misty and glimmering, as if she were close to tears as she spoke, but there was a content smile on her lips. "Go on up to your rooms and get some sleep. We'll open presents tomorrow."

Tom didn't need any more encouragement. He did not like how unresponsive Harry was as he pulled the younger boy along into the house. So instead of tucking Harry in his own bed in the guest room, Tom took his quiet and wobbly friend to his own room.

"Sleep well Harry." Tom whispered as he helped Harry into the large bed and under the covers. Once Harry was settled, Tom crawled in under the covers and slung an arm across Harry's waist.

The younger of the two fell asleep almost instantly once he was comfortable, his overwhelmed senses from the onslaught of the magical presence having worn him out. It took a little while longer for Tom to find his restful slumber.

Up until the moment Tom fell asleep, his gaze never wandered from Harry's innocently content expression.

* * *

A/N: Make sure to check out my tumblr: ethrildragon I'm always posting updates and stuff there about future chapters.

Special thanks to: Louise To, Maurey


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own it.

A/N: I know a lot of you were looking forward to seeing the Christmas gifts and stuff, but that was never written. Since I've already finished many of the future chapters I'm kinda unable to really change anything. When I was planning chapter 12 I'd already decided it would have a time skip. Sorry. If you guys want to find out how to read the completed chapters think about checking out my tumblr: ethrildragon

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 12: Blood Bond

Time continued to move forward for both Harry and Tom. Every weekend while Tom was at school, Harry would visit him and learn about all the magic that Tom had been studying. It took a lot of convincing, on Harry's part, before Tom finally trusted Abraxas enough to tell him what was going on with Harry.

What really convinced Tom to trust Abraxas was the magic oath the young Malfoy offered to make in order to learn the secret that Tom was keeping from him.

In the end Tom didn't require the magic oath.

With Abraxas in the loop regarding Harry's time travelling, research started moving forward a little faster. The young Malfoy was able to help Tom narrow down what sorts of books that Tom would need to find. Abraxas was also extremely useful when it came to training.

The summer after Tom's first year had a surprise for the young Riddle. The Malfoy's had located Tom's only living magical relative, that was not in Azkaban, and had taken him to meet his uncle. It took little effort to convince Morfin to give up any guardianship rights he had over his nephew. The same could be said for the Riddles when the Malfoy's figured out that they were Tom's paternal relatives.

So by the end of summer Tom had been adopted into the Malfoy family. The ritual bound Tom by blood to the Malfoy's. He wouldn't be the heir, that was Abraxas' place, but he also would never be alone or without family ever again.

Tom did decide to keep his Gaunt name though, which the Malfoy's were fine with.

The Malfoy elders did offer to adopt Harry as well, which left Harry feeling warm and happy, but he refused as gently as he could. When the time, meaning when Harry turned 11, Tom and Abraxas had a plan set up so the Malfoy's would have a reason to offer adoption once again.

Meeting Harry during the weekends became easier when Tom and Abraxas entered their 3rd year and were allowed to visit Hogsmeade. They still had to be careful about a particular blue eyed professor, but with Abraxas' help Tom was mostly able to keep under the radar.

Tom's third year was also the time when he started noticing something off about Harry. The younger boy started getting fatigued easily, but Tom attributed that to the more difficult spells that he and Abraxas were teaching Harry. All Harry needed was an hour or so of rest and he was completely well again. After awhile though Harry started getting more and more tired even when he wasn't training.

If the fatigue had been gradual, or at least predictable, Tom would have noticed it faster. As it was sometimes Harry would be overly energetic and wouldn't show any signs at all. Sometimes he even had more energy and power then the young wizard rightfully should have had.

Harry's first collapse happened during the summer after third year.

"He needs to go back to his time Tom." Abraxas whispered quickly as the healer his mother had called for inspected Harry. "All the time jumping is wearing him out."

Tom hissed ever so softly. Even Ladon and Ophion were arguing over what was going on. "Harry hasn't been this drained in years. He's been perfectly stable since we first started training when he was 5!"

Abraxas shook his head wearily. "Time magic is still a big mystery. Who knows what years of time travel would do to the magical core of someone as young as Harry!"

The sound of people moving around in the hall made Tom press a hand to his adopted brother's mouth. Even with Abraxas' mouth covered Tom threw up a quickly silencing spell so no one in the hall would hear them.

But that didn't mean they couldn't hear what was being said in the hall.

At first the words from the adults were quiet, but that was rectified when Abraxas used one of his more useful spying spells that enhanced what the could hear.

"-core is in chaos. I honestly don't know what to tell you Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy." The healer was saying quickly as she relayed what her diagnostic spells had told her. "I've never seen such a powerful magical core before, especially in someone so young. But that's the problem; there's so much rapid growth that Harry can't maintain it."

"It feels like his magic is draining away though." Mrs. Malfoy's voice was filled with worry for the young boy that was in her charge for the summer.

There was a moment of silence before the healer spoke again. "It is. It feels like someone is purposefully draining his magic, but I can't follow the direction of the flow at all. It just vanishes." Again silence and Tom had a feeling the healer was shaking her head. "His core is trying to compensate by forcing growth so that there's more power, but-" Her words hung in the air.

"Hey Tom-"

Tom shot a glare at Abraxas before trying to focus in on the adults again.

"Tom!"

"Not now Abraxas," Tom hissed, but was stopped when Ladon actually bit him on the ear to get him to listen to the Malfoy boy.

"There's an owl with the Gringotts emblem at the window." Abraxas had only noticed it because the blasted bird had started tapping quietly.

Tom spun around and went to the window swiftly. Over the last few years he and Harry had been getting periodical letters from their 'benefactors', courtesy of the Goblins at Gringotts, and each time the letters revealed info that was desperately needed shortly afterwards.

Throwing open the window, Tom accepted the letter that the owl was holding out and didn't even bother to thank the bird as it took off right away.

" _Tom,_

 _Several things could be happening right now, and letters have been written for each situation. If you're reading this particular letter then you don't have much time._

 _Get Harry to Gringotts as soon as you can and get the blood binding ritual done. A particularly nasty Wizard in Harry's time is attempting to drastically weaken Harry. It's part of a plot that involves making Harry into some sort of weapon._

 _Your only other option is to prohibit Harry from travelling into the past until he's 11. If you do that though his life may be in danger._

 _You've done well up till now, don't let your anger get the best of you._

Sure enough Tom's temper was flaring up as he read the letter.

Someone was trying to harm _HIS_ Harry?! He wouldn't just let that happen.

"It's time to enact our plan Abraxas." Tom's eyes were pitch black as he stared up from the letter to look at his brother.

When the letter was passed to him, the edges ripped from where Tom had gripped it so hard, Abraxas read through the words swiftly. "I agree."

Later Tom would find it rather fortuitous that the blood adoption ritual was always done at Gringotts.

At the moment though all Tom could think about was the plan he and Abraxas had made which would give Harry a home with the Malfoy's.

"Mother. Father." Abraxas stepped out of the room he and Tom had been ease dropping from and walked up to his parents. The healer bowed and went back into Harry's room to continue to monitor his health.

"Abraxas dear, did you want something?" Mrs. Malfoy tried to sound calm, but her voice wavered ever so subtly with worry.

Looking back at Tom to make sure he was prepared, Abraxas took a deep breath and nodded. "Tom needs to speak to you. About Hadrian."

The two adults led the two teens into Mr. Malfoy's study down the hall. Tom waited to speak until everyone was sitting.

"Harry asked that I not tell you this, but..." Tom quickly glanced away to look like he was worried about something. "When his parents died in an accident he was sent to live with his relatives. They...they abuse him." His hands clenched into fists and Tom had to keep himself from getting too angry. He really didn't need to pretend for this part of the story. "They hate him. He nearly died when he was little because of them."

Mrs. Malfoy's hands were up over her lips as Tom relayed the story of what had happened with the dogs that one Halloween night.

"Why," Mrs. Malfoy's voice was shaking even more now. "Why didn't he tell us? Why didn't he want us to know?"

Tom shook his head angrily and refused to look at either of his adopted parents.

"Because he was scared." Abraxas' words were soft and he put a comforting hand on Tom's shoulder. "They are muggles. Tom and Harry told me his magical guardian was doing what he could to help Harry, but he never really did anything except make the portkey. But now..."

It was well known that Mr. Malfoy was a quick thinker. He often times thought up the worst case scenario and planned for it.

"Hadrian wasn't scared of his muggle relatives. He was scared of his magical guardian...wasn't he?" With Tom's short and quick nod Mr. Malfoy cursed. "The healer said Hadrian's core was being drained. I would bet every galleon I have that it's this magical guardian."

Quickly Mr. Malfoy stood up and strode out of the study and back down the hall towards Harry's room.

"Father-" Abraxas jumped up to follow, but his mother reached out to stop him.

"He's going to have the healer scan for any magical signatures on Hadrian dear. All spells leave imprints, including draining spells."

Mr. Malfoy returned quickly after that. "We can't leave him to his relatives any longer. As soon as Hadrian is well enough, we are going to Gringotts to have the guardianship changed. If we have to blood adopt him to break the guardianship then that's what we will do."

There was a quiet rage building within Mr. Malfoy, the likes of which Tom had seen only once before. Even though the man was standing straight, his words were even, and he looked calm Tom knew he was beyond angry.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you." Tom whispered quickly. He didn't want that man, the man that had adopted him and given him a home, to be angry with him.

As soon as those twords were out of Tom's mouth the tension in Mr. Malfoy's shoulders vanished and he went from angry to regretful. "You were respecting Hadrian's wishes Tom. None of this was your fault."

And yet a large part of Tom believed it was. Even though the letters had all recommended they wait, that Gothrack had suggested they wait, Tom could have insisted Harry stay in the past. Harry could have had a home with the Malfoy's, been happy instead of having to deal with his relatives on a regular basis. Tom had been selfish when he'd agreed to let Harry travel back and forth; all so he could be with the younger boy as often as he could.

"Tom." Tom felt his shoulders as they were grabbed and he blinked in confusion. Mr. Malfoy had taken a hold of him and was bending down to look him in the eye. "This was not your fault. Only the one doing this to Hadrian is to blame."

Yes. Mr. Malfoy was right. The real person to blame was the one draining Harry! Tom couldn't let his anger get the best of him; he needed to think clearly.

"Mr. Malfoy?" The tense silence that had settled around them was broken when the healer came back. "Hadrian Smith is awake."

Instantly Tom was out of the study and racing back to Harry's room.

Little Harry was sitting up in his bed, his eyes closed and his breathing gentle. When Tom climbed up onto the bed Harry's eyes slipped open and he smiled.

Harry's eyes were brighter than normal and it worried Tom. In the boy's pale face those bright green eyes seemed to glow.

"We're doing the blood binding ritual." Tom whispered hurriedly before the Malfoy's could join him. "When they offer to adopt you, say yes."

Harry worried at his lower lip, his teeth biting into it gently. "You sure? I feel fine now. Maybe I've just been over extending myself."

The younger boy disliked the idea of not being able to see Tom throughout the year just as much as Tom did.

Tom shook his head hard and held Harry's hands tightly. "No. We're doing this now Harry. You're in too much danger back there." He'd show his friend the letter later when they were alone.

That was the last thing Tom was able to say on the subject before the Malfoy's walked into the room, the healer wandering in just behind them.

As the Malfoy's spoke with a hesitant Harry about them adopting him, Tom's attention wandered. Through his connection with Harry, Tom could feel the magic being drained from him. From what he could feel, the amount being drained wasn't a lot, but it was possible the healer had done something to stem the flow.

Thinking of the healer, Tom looked over at her. In her hands was a little crystal that was glowing softly. "What's that?" Tom whispered his question to Abraxas only for the boy to shrug.

The healer must have noticed Tom looking at her, because she smiled and wandered over. "Did you have a question?" She looked tired, but the worry she'd been showing earlier over Harry's health had all but vanished.

With a nod Tom pointed at the crystal in the woman's hands.

"Oh? This little crystal is taking a sample of the magic that is draining Hadrian's core. The longer I let it work the better of a sample I will have."

Tom frowned and squinted his eyes at the crystal. He was sure it wasn't doing anything to Harry, but Tom wasn't as sensitive as his friend was about this sort of thing. That didn't stop him from focusing on the crystal to try and figure out what the magic inside it felt like.

"Hopefully we'll be able to match the magical signature in this crystal to the witch or wizard that's hurting your friend." The healer continued to say as she held the crystal up to get a look at it. "It might take some time, but we'll find the person doing this. Stealing from another's magical core, especially a child's, is highly dangerous. When the person is found they'll be tried for attempted murder of a minor."

"That's enough." Mrs. Malfoy hissed as she caught on to the conversation Tom and the healer were having. She and her husband were helping Harry to stand up on his own. "We're going to Gringotts now. It would be appreciated if you came as well."

The two women rapidly discussed things quietly as Tom went over to help Harry, who looked to be having a hard time staying upright. Mr. Malfoy was on Harry's other side, watching carefully for any signs that the small boy would fall.

The fastest way would always be apparition, but the question was could Harry handle it?

The choice was made for them when Harry faltered and he started to faint again. The draining on his magic core was growing stronger again and this time it caused blood to drip from his nose.

"Hold you to me now." Mr. Malfoy said quickly as he took hold of Harry. Tom grabbed hold of his adopted father's arm. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Mrs. Malfoy taking hold of Abraxas.

With a crack all the Malfoy's, Tom, Harry, and the healer were gone. Swiftly they appeared at the apparition point in Diagon Alley.

"Just a little longer now." Mr. Malfoy was whispering gently as he lifted Harry up into his arms and carried him through the street ignoring the strange looks they were getting. He had little care for what others thought when a child in his care was in danger.

The goblins reacted quickly when the Malfoy's swept in with a barely conscious Harry. Gothrack was summoned and the group was led to a ritual room that was being prepared.

"We need a blood adoption ritual." The healer was telling the goblins, who were pretty much ignoring her in favor of actually doing their jobs.

"Set Mr. Smith here." Gothrack indicated the stone table that was at the center of an intricate circle of runes. "This shall stabilize him for the ritual."

Mr. Malfoy eyed the runes before setting the boy down. "Those seem a bit excessive." Especially for a simple ritual that only required a potion and the blood of the parents and child that were to become a family.

"A precaution." Gothrack waved a hand negligibly as if he didn't care.

Tom knew what those runes meant, even if he couldn't actually understand them. They were for the blood binding ritual that would keep Harry anchored in the past. When Tom had gone through the blood adoption it'd been a quick and simple affair.

"Please don't argue with them dear." Mrs. Malfoy whispered quickly to her husband. The sooner this was all done and taken care of the sooner Harry would be safe with them.

If there was one thing that earned Tom's respect for the Goblins, it was how they were masters at manipulation. While several goblins distracted the adults with the blood adoption potion and paperwork, Gothrack worked swiftly with an assistant to work the blood bonding ritual that Harry was in the middle of.

"Hand." Gothrack growled out as he reached out to Tom. Instantly Tom's hand was out with his palm up. A dagger was sliced swiftly and cleaning across Tom's palm and the blood that dripped down fell onto the runes below him.

The goblin did the same with Harry's palm and then whispered an incantation.

There were enough spells designed for discretion around them that no one noticed the runes as they lit up or the wispy thread that connected both Tom and Harry grow and turn gold. For the moment that it hovered in the air between the two boys it looked more like a gold chain then just a thread.

Harry let out a little sigh and some color returned to his pale cheeks. Tom could still feel some of his magic draining away, but at least now it wasn't as noticeable. In fact, if Tom focused on Harry's magic, he could kind of feel the direction it was going.

"Blood adoption potion is ready." The other head goblin that had been distracting the Malfoy adults spoke up once he spotted the blood binding ritual was done.

With a nod Gothrack took the goblet that was being cared over to him. The potion inside it swirled oddly between silver and dark red.

With quick movements Gothrack used his magic to help Harry sit up and then held the goblet to the boy's lips. The boy only needed to drink a few drops for the potion to take effect, so once Gothrack was sure enough was consumed he handed the potion away to another goblin.

The blood adoption potion worked through Harry's system and within minutes his color had returned and he was resting peacefully. His magic core was low, but at least now it wasn't being actively drained. With time and rest little Harry would be back at full strength and then some.

As it had with Tom, a few of Harry's features changed as his body accepted the genetic tweaks that the blood adoption gave him. With how young he was, and with how his body was still growing, the changes wouldn't be immediately obvious until his teens.

"Tom?" Harry's words were whispered and tired as his now pale green eyes opened to look around blearily. He reached up and tried to adjust his glasses only to pull them off. His eyes went wide and a grin split across his face. "I don't need my glasses!"

"Of course not." Abraxas said with a huff. "Malfoy's have exquisite eye sight."

"Indeed." Now that the danger had passed Mr. Malfoy was once again completely cool and composed.

Unlike the adults, Abraxas had witnessed everything. He'd already known about what had to be done so it wasn't a great shock to him.

Most of the goblins had left, leaving only Gothrack to watch over the wizarding family. The healer checked over Harry only to confirm that his magic was safe and that he needed rest to recover. A few restorative potions wouldn't hurt either.

In Northern Scotland a particular blue eyed wizard was extremely confused. For a moment or two his magic had gotten such a huge boost and he had no idea from where. The arrival of the magic had been sudden, but before he could figure out where it had come from the link had been severed.

Dumbledore was less concerned about gaining the magic and more concerned about how powerful the boost had been. The tiny amount he had gotten had powered up his magic so much that the spell he'd been experimenting with caused various glass vials and pitches to not only shatter, but turn to dust.

If he'd had just an extra second Dumbledore could have taken a sample of the unknown magic, but as it was he hadn't had enough time between his shock and the sudden cutoff.

With a bit of concentration Dumbldore reshaped the glass dust back to the items they had been previously. There was no hope to save the potions or any of the liquid ingredients so he was forced to use a cleaning spell to remove what was left.

For now he put the strange magic from his mind. It was a mystery he would be unable to solve at this time, and he had other concerns and duties to attend to.

* * *

Special thanks to: Louise to, Maurey

A/N: Updates are every Monday


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to Harry Potter

A/N: I update this story every monday. If you want updates and what not head over to my tumblr: ethrildragon

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 13: A simple game of quidditch and society

Tom would later think about his third year as the year that had gone to hell. Besides Harry's magic getting drained to dangerous levels, it had also been the year the first bombs had fallen on London. The muggles were at war and that war was bleeding into the wizarding community.

The world of magic hadn't been prepared for the bombs. The wards that were in place were not strong enough to keep the blasts and explosions out so a great deal of Diagon Alley and other wizarding places were horribly damaged.

By the summer that Harry was finally anchored to the past the majority of the wizarding community had been repaired and the wards had been fixed to protect against bombs. Most of the wards simply deflected or turned the bombs into duds, but a few of the stronger wards protected against the explosions.

Tom was immensely thankful the Malfoy's had found him and Harry those two years that the bombs fell on London. He had no idea if the orphanage was even standing and honestly Tom didn't want to know.

That didn't stop either Tom or Harry from having nightmares about the bombs though. Especially when one dropped over Diagon Alley a couple days after Harry had been given the blood adoption potion.

The Malfoy family had decided to stay away from London after that. The family relocated to the Malfoy estate in Southern Scotland to wait out the muggle war. The adults also opened up their home to wizarding children that were being evacuated out of London.

Among the half dozen children that joined the Malfoy's at their estate was Orion Black.

Tom quickly decided he did not like the very distant cousin of the Malfoy's. The boy was the same age as Harry and that seemed to make Orion think that he and Harry should become the best of friends.

This was not something Tom had any control of, but he would not just sit back and let Black take his place as Harry's most important person.

"Harry should be resting, not flying around on broomsticks." Tom said quickly after Orion had just asked if Harry would like to go flying over the estate gardens. "Go ask one of the others."

Tom tried to make the dismissal as obvious as possible as he reopened his book to get back to reading. Harry was next to him on the couch reading one of his own books.

"Hadrian's been doing nothing but resting!" Orion snapped back as he leaned over the couch to grab at Harry's book. "A little fun won't kill him."

If Harry hadn't had such hope in those pale green eyes Tom might have argued against it once again. He knew it was wrong to keep Harry from doing anything other than reading, but not only did Tom not like Orion, but he worried about Harry's health.

It had barely been a month since Harry's escape from the magic drain and they were fast approaching the start of the next term. Tom wanted to keep an eye on Harry as much as possible.

"Please Tom?" Harry pleaded softly as he gave Tom the biggest eyes he could manage.

With a sigh and a snap of his own book as he closed it, Tom nodded. "But I don't want you flying any higher than the rooftop. And I'm coming with you."

Harry nodded happily and jumped off of the couch. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't gotten bored sitting around and taking it easy.

Orion on the other hand looked like he had just eaten a sour candy. He had been looking forward to spending time with Harry without his protective older siblings.

Tom wasn't the only one denying Orion the chance to hang out with Harry. Abraxas would also tell the two younger boys no if he thought Harry needed more rest. The Malfoy teen was the only one capable of ignoring Harry's adorable puppy dog eyes.

But Abraxas wasn't there at the moment so it was up to Tom to keep Harry from injuring himself.

For the sake of Tom's sanity Harry did fly a little lower than Orion would have liked and he did fly a little slower than Harry would have enjoyed. But it kept Tom from jumping onto his own broomstick to chase after the two 10 year olds.

"No tricks!" Tom yelled up at Orion and Harry from the ground.

When the Malfoy's had first introduced Tom and Harry to the idea of flying back after Tom had been adopted, Harry had taken to flying like a bird. Tom on the other hand didn't like the idea of relying on a tool to fly. What if the broom broke or he slipped? He was fine with flying, it was the falling Tom didn't much like the idea of.

Orion rolled his eyes and flew close to Harry as the two of them circled around the gardens.

"Why do you let him boss you around so much?" The young Black asked once they were out of earshot from Tom.

A tiny giggle left Harry and he just smiled. "Tom doesn't boss me around."

Orion shook his head and leaned back a bit, flying the broom without the use of his hands. "Sure seems like he's bossing you around." He made a face and then tried to imitate Tom's voice. "Don't fly too high. No tricks. Finish reading your book. No sweets before bed." Orion rolled his eyes again. "I'm pretty sure that's what being bossy means."

Harry shook his head and his grin turned fond. "He's just worried about me. Abraxas says I'm a magnet for trouble and Tom knows it." Even Harry could believe it with how often he got into trouble. "It was just me and him for a long time."

"Still..." Orion mumbled as he swung around to fly on Harry's other side as they circled around and flew past Tom again. "He could ease up a little."

Harry could only shrug. He didn't mind Tom being over protective for the most part. Tom had always been like that and honestly Harry enjoyed being cared about.

"Mother says I'll be staying here until I start at Hogwarts next year." Orion said as casually as he could. "So I guess it'll be my job to keep you out of trouble while Tom and Abraxas are away."

That fact made Harry sigh sadly. He'd been enjoying spending time with Tom and Abraxas on the weekends. Mrs. Malfoy did say they could go to Hogsmeade sometimes to have lunch with them, but it wouldn't be the same.

Harry had his wand on him all the time now, but he wasn't going to get to learn the things that Tom and Abraxas were learning. Mr. Malfoy would be hiring a tutor for Harry and the other children staying at the Malfoy estate, but it wasn't the same as having Tom standing right behind him, helping him with his posture, teaching him the words he needed to know.

It wasn't the same.

"You alright? Do we need to stop?" Orion asked once Harry became a little too quiet.

"I'm fine. Let's do a couple more laps." The worried expression Orion was giving him made Harry smiling reassuringly.

Orion wasn't completely convinced, not until Harry smirked mischievously and was suddenly flying several times faster. With a loud laugh Orion grabbed hold of his broom and leaned forward, sending himself shooting after the laughing boy ahead of him.

When Harry and Orion returned to the ground Tom looked like he'd just gotten done with having a heart attack. Tom immediately launched into a lecture about the definition of 'taking it easy'. Harry just kept smiling serenely up at his most favorite person.

Back in the future things weren't as simple. In the month that Harry had gone missing, Madam LeRue had launched a full scale investigation. She'd also seen fit to remove Dudley from his parents and place him in foster care for the time being.

The social worker was filling out reports when there was a knock at her office door.

"I'm busy. Please make an appointment with my secretary." Madam LeRue really was swamped. Not only did she have the Potter disappearance to worry about, but she also had at least a dozen abuse cases to go over and determine level of severity.

She really should have given some of those cases to others so she could focus on the more at risk children.

"I asked that you speak with my secretary." Madam LeRue almost snarled as her door was opened and an elderly gentleman in a strange blue plaid suit walked in. "Please leave."

"I'm here about Harry Potter."

That made Madam LeRue stop. She considered the strange man before her before setting her pen down to clasp her hands together on her desk.

"You have five minutes."

The elderly man nodded and sat down in the chair across from Madam LeRue. He pulled out a little bag of what looked like lemon drops and offered one to the severe woman.

LeRue shook her head and simply glared. "Four minutes."

With a sigh the man adjusted his spectacles and put his candy away. "I must ask that you forget about Harry Potter."

It didn't sound like a threat, in fact Madame LeRue thought the old man sounded quite friendly and warm, but he wasn't the first person to come into her office and tell her to back off.

Before she could reach for the security button that she'd had installed some time ago when another angry parent had come in and threatened her with a gun, LeRue felt herself freeze.

"Wha-" She tried to call out, but even her voice seemed to be stuck.

"Before I obliviate you, I have a few questions about Harry Potter." The man pulled out a strange looking stick and pointed it at her.

Madam LeRue glared at the man and his stick. What was he going to do? Poke her to death?

"Now then. I know Harry Potter vanished July 19th. I know he's supposed to be living with his relatives the Dursley's." The man tapped his stick against his other hand for a moment. "Hold still now. It'll be easier if you cooperate."

Her eyes never left that ice blue stare of the old man with the long white beard. LeRue felt like there was a pressure in her head, but it only lasted moment.

"I see." The old man seemed contemplative as he looked away. "He was visiting a friend and didn't return when he said he would." That complicated things. This LeRue muggle woman didn't know where or who this friend was, but she did know the two had been friends for years.

After several long minutes of thinking to himself, the man finally sighed and lifted the stick back up. "I'm sorry to do this, but honestly you should have never been allowed to get involved. Those Dursley's were more afraid of you than of me. Pity."

Madam LeRue blinked several times in confusion. She could have sworn she'd been talking to someone, but her office was empty. What had she been doing?

She glanced around at her desk. There were open reports on recent child abuse accusations that she was working through.

"Jessy," LeRue held the button on her phone for a moment. "Did I have an appointment with anyone today?"

"No mam." The younger woman replied over the phone. "You instructed me to not let anyone see you today so you could catch up on your reports."

"Thank you Jessy." Despite what her secretary had said LeRue still felt like something was off.

She wasn't the only one. At least a dozen, if not more, muggle men and women conveniently forgot about a small boy with black hair and brilliant emerald green eyes.

The last people Dumbledore visited were the Dursley's.

When he arrived at the Dursley home, Dumbledore didn't even wait for someone to open the door to his knocking. He just entered.

"Now listen here sir!" Vernon Dursley started to say only to be flung back into his arm chair by wandless magic.

"Tell me," Dumbledore smoothly and softly cooed. "What part of 'Keep him safe and secret' was so difficult?"

Petunia, who had been cowering by the stairs piped up with a squeaky voice. "He got out one night! There was nothing we could do when the police found him."

Dumbledore rubbed at his eyes tiredly. "And why didn't you report this to me?" He demanded quietly. The lights flickered around him and the house groaned as his magic pressed down on it.

"We bloody well couldn't, could we?!" Vernon yelled as he fought against the magic holding him to the chair. "You never told us how to contact you and we weren't going to use a bloody bird."

The old headmaster knew he should have put more thought into this. Shame on him for thinking a muggle family would take care of a blood relative that had been orphaned.

The Figg woman he'd setup down the street hadn't thought to get Dumbledore involved since the muggle police had taken care of things. She hadn't wanted to disturb Dumbledore with something that wasn't magical in nature.

He was dealing with complete idiots. Idiots that had lost him the wizarding world's 'savior'. With a wave of his wand he obliviated the Dursley's. They wouldn't remember Dumbledore's visit, but he'd let them remember the loss of their son.

The muggles could deal with the fiasco that was the Dursley's. Dumbledore had to make sure all the loose ends involving Harry Potter were cleaned up. Once that was done he could start searching for the boy.

If he was lucky Harry Potter would be with a pure blood or half blood family somewhere in magical Britain. It was the only explanation as to why his magical guardianship had been revoked. Muggle adoptions did nothing to the connection between a child and their magical guardian.

Unless...

No. Dumbledore could not allow himself to consider the thought that Harry Potter might be dead. If he was then he had been wrong about the prophesy.

For now he would simply search for Harry Potter quietly and in secret. He would find the boy and figure out what to do from there.

Time flowed evenly between the past and the present and the end of summer turned into the beginning of fall. With fall came the inevitable trip to Hogwarts and the separation between Tom and his Harry.

Unaware of the search efforts Dumbledore was doing in the future, Harry settled into his life as the newest member of the Malfoy household.

This change in familial status brought about other changes for Harry. As he had done for Tom, Mr. Malfoy introduced Harry to several tutors that would instruct the boy on proper pure blood traditions and culture. Mrs. Malfoy took up the mantle, once again, of teaching the children in her care etiquette and manners.

Most of the other children got along well with their studies and tutoring. Harry did fine with the magical education, but he couldn't quite understand why he had to stand up straight all the time or how to properly address adults of different status. He absolutely hated learning about table manners.

"Hadrian Malfoy." It had been decided during the blood adoption that Harry would take the Malfoy name, to protect him from his magical guardian and relatives. "Young men do not mumble or squirm when speaking with young ladies."

Harry so wished Tom were there so he could distract himself with his friend. Orion was nice and all, but he wasn't Tom.

Eileen Prince, who was a month younger than Harry, and a few others in their group had been quietly conversing when she'd asked Harry if he was at all interested in potions.

The dozen children the Malfoy family had taken in for the time being had been joined by a few other children for a little socializing. Mrs. Malfoy believed it would be a good chance for her charges to practice their manners and etiquette. Especially Harry.

"It's alright Lady Malfoy," Eileen Prince said sweetly as she smiled up at the woman. "I did change the subject rather suddenly."

Mrs. Malfoy smiled and nodded. She approved of the young Prince girl; she was well spoken and was always polite.

Harry on the other hand didn't really care for any of the girls in their little 'tea group'. In the effort to 'expand Hadrian's group of friends' Mrs. Malfoy had placed him and Orion into separate groups.

"So?" Eileen pressed again to get an answer out of Harry. "What do you think about potion making?"

"It's ok I guess." Harry did his best not to squirm. Each group had four people and his was the only group where the girls out numbered the boys.

His response had the girls in his little tea party giggling. Harry was staring to learn to hate that sound; especially when it came from girls.

Apparently the girls all silently agreed that Harry's short and quiet responses were cute and that he was simply shy. It became a challenge for them to see who could get Harry to come out of his shell.

"What do you enjoy Malfoy?"

Now that was something Harry was having a hard time getting used to. It'd taken him awhile to get used to responding to "Hadrian" or "Mr. Smith", but now he had to get used to everyone outside his family or close friends calling him "Malfoy"; stupid pure blood etiquette. Harry was half tempted to give everyone permission to just use his first name.

Taking a subtle but deep breath Harry steeled himself before answering. "I guess I enjoy flying." It was the truth. He couldn't exactly tell them about how he knew spells from the first three years of Hogwarts. What sorts of spells do 10 year olds know anyway?

"Oh! Do you have a favorite quidditch team?" A girl that wasn't Eileen asked quickly. Now that they had caught Harry's attention the girls were determined to keep him talking.

"Well," Harry fought the urge to bite at his lip. He was used to talking to Orion about this sort of things; not a bunch of girls. "The Ballycastle Bats is a good team, as is the Chudley Canons, but I think my favorite team would probably be the Caerphilly Catapults."

"The Catapults are decent," the girl that had asked the question replied. "But honestly I think the Appleby Arrows are much better."

Eileen huffed ever so slightly at that. "Puddlemere United is a much more respectable team than Appleby Arrows."

"Don't you start Prince." The third girl groaned as the other two girls began to, elegantly, argue about which team was better. "Honestly. It's just a sport."

Thankfully that got the three girls bickering and left Harry alone for at least a few minutes before they remembered he was supposed to be included in the discussion.

Harry wasn't saved until Mrs. Malfoy gave the go ahead for the groups to break up and mingle with each other.

"The Caerphilly Catapults? Really Harry?"

"Shut it Orion." Harry growled back softly. "I like them. They have one of the best seekers in the League."

Orion nodded thoughtfully. "I'll give you that, but you have to admit that the Falmouth Falcons have a much better overall team setup."

"If you enjoy excessive violence and regulation violations."

"Go away Prince." Orion glared at the girl and hovered almost possessively at Harry's side.

Eileen pretended not to have noticed Orion. "You're a horrible influence Black. Have you no manners?"

It was easy to tell that the two of them were always like this when around each other. There was no hatred in their words and Eileen almost looked at Orion fondly when he snapped back at her that his manners were perfect when in the right company.

"And to think we're going to be stuck together when school starts next year." Eileen sighed deeply and shook her head at Orion's continued sneering. "I'll be relying on you, Malfoy, for even a tiny bit of civility."

"Me?" Harry was almost shocked when his arm was grabbed up by Eileen as she pretended to swoon. "Why me?"

Eileen batted her eye lashes at Harry and gave him her best smile. "Because you aren't bad mannered like some boy's I could name."

His other arm was grabbed up and Harry suddenly felt like a toy that was being fought over by siblings. "He's my friend Prince. You're not going to corrupt him."

With a gasp Eileen's hand fluttered over her chest. "Me? Corrupt? Isn't that your job Black?"

Harry found himself greatly missing Tom and Abraxas. At least the two other boys were mature and never fought like this when around people they didn't like that much.

"Let's go outside Harry," Orion made sure to empathize the use of Harry's name in order to make sure he irritated Eileen a little. "We can find Rupert and the others and have a practice quidditch match." As long as they included some of the other children Mrs. Malfoy wouldn't be too upset about Harry and Orion bailing from the tea social.

Eileen wasn't much of a flier, not in the way Harry and Orion were, but she didn't want to stay indoors and be ignored either.

"I'll be referee." It was better than staying inside and being bored out of her mind.

When no one else offered to take the job of mediator, Orion finally agreed to let Eileen be the referee. Just to be on the safe side, she did make sure to inform Mrs. Malfoy of the impromptu quidditch match.

Seeing as how small Harry was, he was instantly pushed into the seeker role for one of the two teams that was being made. Orion was made chaser for the same team.

"Everyone knows the rules right?" Eileen called out as she clung to the broom she'd borrowed from the Malfoy's. There were plenty of brooms to go around for all the kids. When she got enough nods Eileen sighed and put her fingers to her lips. "Clean game please. Go" She whistled as loudly as she could and then tossed the quaffle high into the air. The house elf on the ground released the snitch and the bludger; which had been spelled to hit at a much gentler strength.

Thankfully Harry didn't have to worry too much about the other players, besides the seeker on the other team, and all he had to watch out for were two balls.

Without his glasses to slip around on his nose Harry had an easy time whipping his head around to search for the gold speck that was the golden snitch. He thought he saw it once, but the gold sparkle turned out to be a necklace on Sylvia Thicknesse's neck.

"Harry watch out!"

The shout came just in time as the bludger shot right past him. He waved at Orion to show he was alright before returning his focus to the air to find the snitch.

Harry spotted the snitch a few minutes later, but it vanished just as he started chasing after it. He knew how it had happened; the little bugger had been able to slip out of view by flying straight towards the sun to blind Harry.

The seeker on the other team, Rupert Flint, was squinting and shading his eyes as much as possible to search for the snitch.

"We shouldn't have played at noon." Harry mumbled. You would think with the sun directly overhead on a rare sunny fall day a tiny gold orb would be easy to spot, but it was quite the opposite.

Finally Harry spotted the snitch hovering around Eileen closer to the ground.

He didn't have the time to call out to Eileen, not if he wanted to go for the snitch before Flint. If Harry did call out to Eileen to watch out the snitch might dart away from her. Harry just couldn't risk it.

With that decision made he tilted his broom down and dove towards Eileen as fast as possible. His black hair whipped around his head and his pale green eyes narrowed until all he could see was the snitch.

Harry was sure he heard his name called out, but he was too focused. The snitch was seconds away, all he had to do was reach out his hand and grab it. It'd be close, and he would have to spin onto his side to avoid hitting Eileen, but Harry knew he could do it.

Making sure his legs were wrapped tightly around the broom, Harry yanked the broomstick so that he would roll onto his side. Just as his fingers closed around the golden snitch.

"HARRY!"

Once the snitch was in his hand Harry's world widened back up and seemed to slow down. Eileen had twisted and was looking at Harry with surprise and fear. More accurately her gaze was right behind him.

A lot of the other children were looking right behind Harry as well.

The world picked up speed again and suddenly there was a solid punch in the middle of his back from the bludger that had been coming right at Eileen. Harry must have cried out, but he didn't notice. With his legs still wrapped tightly around the broomstick Harry was thrown around by flying magic of the broom and the force of impact from the bludger.

Luckily Eileen had been hovering close to the ground so when Harry crashed to the ground with his broom, he only had at most ten feet to fall.

"Hadrian!" Mrs. Malfoy had been watching the match from the tea room with the other children that had elected not to get involved. The moment the bludger made impact she had apparated onto the field.

"M'okay." Harry groaned as he stiffly sat up. His back hurt, as did his legs and side of his head, but he'd been beaten enough to know nothing was broken. "Just bruised."

"That was reckless!" Mrs. Malfoy admonished as she performed a quick diagnostic spell to make sure Harry didn't have a concussion or any other injury that could be life threatening. "You should have known better! Flying sideways like that! Honestly."

The young boy just smiled happily up at the woman that had adopted him. Being fussed over felt...nice...even if she was lecturing him at the same time.

"Harry?"

"Malfoy?"

The other children were landing around him with varying degrees of worry and curiosity on their faces.

With a huge smirk that showed all his teeth Harry held up one hand to brush his hair out of his face and then held up the other to reveal the weakly struggling snitch.

"Alright!" Orion and the others on Harry's team cheered even as Mrs. Malfoy send them frowns. Rupert and his team groaned in defeat which only made Harry's smirk bigger.

Harry wasn't sure what did it, what made him blush, but he did as his eyes went from Orion to Eileen. Orion's smile was full of charm and it made his normally pouty face fill out in such a handsome way. Eileen on the other hand had her hands clasped against her chest and there were tears of worry in her eyes as she knelt down next to him.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own the HP franchise

A/N: This week has been super busy. I'm getting ready for a convention on the 11th of November, which means I've been making tons of jewelry for my table. Lots of ear cuffs. LOTS OF EAR CUFFS. I've barely had time to write this week.

Reminder that I have more chapters complete, but you need to head over to my tumblr: ethrildragon to learn more.

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 14: Return to Hogwarts

Gone.

Harry Potter was gone.

Dumbledore had done everything in his power to find the boy in the year since he'd gone missing, but he had found no trace of the boy. He'd looked all across the British Isles, Europe, and even to the Americas. All of his people in the Order were put to the task and they failed to find the boy as well.

The start of the school year, the year that Harry was supposed to start at Hogwarts, would be starting in less than a day and Dumbledore had no idea what to do.

He'd wiped clean all evidence of Harry's disappearance in the muggle world so he couldn't exactly place the blame on the boy's relatives.

Even the Book of Admittance couldn't find Harry Potter in order to send a letter. The boy's name was simply grey in the book. Usually when that happened it meant one of three things. The first being that the child had registered with another school in another country, which Dumbledore had already checked. The second being that the child had lost their magic, but people could still be traced even without magic. The last reason the book would grey out a child's name was that the child was dead.

Dumbledore ran a hand through his beard as he paced his office. Granted the death of Harry Potter didn't inconvenience his long term plans any, he could work around this obstacle, but the rest of the wizarding world would demand answers.

He did have one explanation that could work. Dumbledore would have to be careful though; a few of the Order that were smarter than their own good might see through his explanations.

With a sigh Dumbledore negligibly waved his wand at the portraits of the past headmasters. He'd frozen them so he could think in peace. Now though he had a meeting with his professors and a new batch of students to begin enthralling.

* * *

"You're not allowed to fly outside of flight class and that is final." Mrs. Malfoy was telling Harry as the family escorted not just Tom and Abraxas, but also Harry, Orion, and the few other children that were starting Hogwarts that year.

"Yes mam." Harry mumbled with a small eye roll, but at least he didn't shuffle or scuff his feet. His head was down which made his bangs cover his eyes so that Mrs. Malfoy wouldn't see the eye roll.

"Don't you roll your eyes at me young man."

How she knew he was rolling his eyes Harry wished he knew.

"Oh Hadrian..." Mrs. Malfoy smiled a little fondly as she carefully knelt down so she was closer to eye level with the small boy. Even after all the nutrient potions and the extra help the Malfoy's had gotten to get Harry to a more healthy size, he was still small for his age. "Promise to write every day? We'll miss you too much otherwise."

During the school year that Tom and Abraxas had been away, the elder Malfoy's had grown close to Harry. They were caring for other children, but it would be strange not having any of their own children in the house.

"I promise."

The platform was starting to fill up with more families; the Malfoy's had arrived early to ensure their three sons and their charges would find places on the train without trouble.

"We're counting on you boys to be upstanding students this year." Mr. Malfoy commented, more for Orion and Harry as they seemed to enjoy getting into mischief together. "You represent the Malfoy name and honor."

Abraxas and Tom stood a little taller while Harry simply nodded.

Yet another thing that Harry was having trouble getting used too. He understood how important it was to be polite and such, but why did he have to be perfectly presentable at all times?

Thankfully the children were finally allowed to leave the elder Malfoy's, after a last hug from the matron of the family, and boarded the train.

"It'll be nice not to have to write so much." Abraxas mumbled as the four boys split from the other children. "All the expectation for that chore will be on little Harry."

Abraxas had decided some time ago that having a younger brother was a blessing. His father still high expectations, but at least Abraxas didn't feel nearly as smothered as he had growing up. Tom was too close to his age to have made any difference in that regard.

"I'm not that little." Harry scoffed as he hopped up onto one of the seats of the large room they'd found along the train.

Orion smirked and ruffled Harry's hair, making it even messier. "You're tiny. Which makes you perfect for being our mascot!" Even Orion had had a growth spurt over the summer and was several inches taller than Harry.

Tom bristled when Black touched his Harry. His arm snaked out and he pulled Harry closer to his side. Tom's arm continued to stay stretched out over Harry's shoulders even after the smaller boy was nestled close.

"Well here you boys are!"

Winky Crockett, the bane of Tom's existence, slammed open the door to the space the four boys were in. She grinned and her eyes twinkled as she spotted Harry cozied up to Tom.

"Well if it isn't little Hadrian Smith!" She cooed. "It's been years since I saw you! You're still so cute and tiny."

As much as Harry wanted to snap that he wasn't tiny, for what felt like the hundreth time that day, he bit his tongue. He could be snarky and argumentative with the other boys in their quartet, but with a 6th year he hadn't seen since one of the Malfoy summer functions years ago? No, he was sure he couldn't tell her off.

"It's Hadrian Malfoy now Crockett." Abraxas was rolling his eyes at the girl.

"What? Oh my goodness when did that happen?" She took a seat next to Abraxas, much to Orion's displeasure as he was pretty much shoved out of the way.

Tom knew exactly what had happened. Winky had set them up for a conversation so she'd have a reason to sit with them. He knew the Crockett family knew about Harry's adoption into the Malfoy family; there had been a rather big party last year during the Summer Gala and Mr. and Mrs. Crockett had been there.

"Crockett would you please bugger off." Orion tried to sound nice about it, but his language was completely contradictory to his smile.

Winky sucked in her breath and her eyes narrowed as she considered the young Black heir. She could ignore his demand, but she also knew her father needed the support of the Black's to pass a bill at the ministry.

So, with a sniff and a jerk of her chin, Winky stood up and left the four boys.

"Great." Abraxas groaned and sank down in his seat. "She finally gave up on flirting with me and Tom. I wouldn't put it past her to try and cozy up to Harry."

"I would never let a parasite like Winky Crockett get close to Harry." Tom's arm over his friend's shoulders tightened for a moment before relaxing.

Harry looked from Abraxas to Tom and back, confused as to what was going on. Orion was the first to fill him in.

"She wants to marry into the Malfoy family. Or one of the other big name families. You're a Malfoy now so don't be surprised if she tries to dig her claws into you."

Harry made such a disgusted face at the very idea of marrying the Crockett girl that it made the other three boys laugh.

When the train was finally on it's way a few other had joined the boys in the cabin they had claimed. The majority of the people in the cabin were 4th, 5th, and 6th years that Tom and Abraxas had made friends with over the years.

Harry was used to being the smallest person in the room, but the youngest? Even Orion was a few months older than Harry. At one point Orion had moved from his seat next to Abraxas to Harry's other side. Tom's arm had left his shoulders at one point, but his oldest and closest friend made a point to always include Harry whenever possible.

Still, Harry found himself getting bored listening to all the older teens talk about their summer and what they were expecting for the new school term.

"Hey Harry," Orion must have been feeling the same since he nudged Harry to get his attention. "Let's go find Prince and Flint."

A big grin broke out across Harry's face and he looked at Tom hopefully. He didn't want to leave if his friend disapproved of it.

Tom wanted to tell him no, but with so many Slytherins around them it would be easy for them to figure out Harry could be used against him. So he was forced to nod subtly.

"Just be back in time to change." Tom instructed just before Orion and Harry darted out the door.

Harry felt like he could finally breath freely once he and Orion were out of the compartment full of older students. His lessons with his adopted father had kicked in and Harry had gotten rather stiff from sitting up straight for so long.

"Any ideas on finding Eileen and Rupert?" Orion asked as he stretched out his arms. He'd been getting pretty stiff as well.

"A few." Harry tugged his sleeve up to reveal his little gartner snake wrapped around his wrist. _"Can you scent Eileen or Rupert?_ " He hissed softly at the snake. Orion had found out during the last year and had found Harry's ability to be amazing.

Ladon lifted his head up and his little tongue darted out of his mouth a few times. Orion watched with interest as the little snake's black eyes started to glow subtly.

Gartner snakes were not magical creatures, but if a normal animal lived around others with magic long enough they would develop small talents. Ladon had a talent for tracking and instinctively knowing the layout of the area around him.

 _"Back,"_ Ladon hissed as he turned his head back to look at the train cars towards the back of the train. _"In one of the open boxes with no inner walls."_

"He says they're in one of the cars behind this one." Harry told Orion as he tugged his sleeve back down so Ladon could go back to napping.

The two boys had to wander through 2 other cars, passing by older students that mostly ignored them.

Eileen spotted them just as they made it into the car she and Rupert had found most of the other first and second years in.

"There you are Harry!" Eileen jumped out of her seat to give Harry a quick hug before tugging him into the seat next to her. Orion was forced to take a seat next to another student he didn't know. "Where have you been? We looked for you, but we couldn't find you."

"You probably didn't see him because Tom was hoarding him." Orion crossed one leg over the other as he lounged back. "We'll be lucky to have Harry to ourselves at all this year if Tom has any say in it."

"Eileen who are these fellows?" a young boy with dirty blond hair asked from next to Orion.

"Orion Black," Orion offered up his own name before Eileen could. "Hadrian Malfoy." He held out his hand to indicate the dark haired boy that Eileen had looped arms with.

The blond nodded and held out his hand to Orion. "Gifford Abbott. Second year Hufflepuff."

Orion sneered a bit at that, but he did take the other boy's hand to shake it once.

The girl on the other side of Gifford didn't need to be introduced. She knew Orion and Harry from the social tea parties Mrs. Malfoy had thrown throughout the year to get Harry used to pure blood society. Persephone Greengrass had perfectly straight brown hair and muddy brown eyes.

"So we already asked Eileen and Rupert," Gifford said once introductions were done with. "But what houses do you two think you'll get into?"

"I'm a Black. That pretty much guarantees me a spot in Slytherin." It was well known the Blacks had always been placed in the house of the snake. "My sister Lucretia is a fifth year in Slytherin and my cousin Walburga is a fourth year."

The two black girls had made a brief appearance in the cabin with Tom and the others to make sure Orion was behaving himself before going off to join their own friends.

"And you Malfoy?" Gifford asked once Orion was done preening.

Harry rubbed at the back of his head for a moment. "I don't know. I mean...Malfoy's go into Slytherin, and a lot of my friends are there."

If Harry was honest with himself he would admit he didn't know what house he would go into. Both his Malfoy parents had been in Slytherin and they, along with Tom and Abraxas, had made the house of snakes sound amazing. It would make sense if he were sorted into Slytherin since he could also speak to snakes like the infamous Hogwarts Founder.

Still Harry could see himself in any of the houses. He enjoyed learning new things and Tom had made sure he was always ahead in his studies, even when Harry would have preferred playing, so Ravenclaw was an option. Harry valued his friendships and was fiercely loyal to those he cared about so Hufflepuff would make sense as well. He knew he could be a bit reckless and adventurous so Gryffindor might be a good fit.

"I'll just leave it up to the hat." Harry grinned and shrugged. He would prefer Slytherin, if only to be close to Tom during the year.

"Not a very Slytherin answer." Gifford didn't mean anything bad by it, but it still earned him a scowl from Orion.

Harry could only shrug. He could be cunning if he wanted, but he didn't see the point at the moment. "I just like to keep my options open. You never know what is around the corner."

"So I heard there's a Scamander starting Hogwarts this year." Gifford said after a few minutes of stalled conversation. "They say his dad caught Grindelwald back in '26!"

"Yeah," Eileen rolled her eyes. "For all of what? A few months? They've never been able to hold onto that psycho."

It was a subject that left everyone feeling chilled. Gellert Grindelwald had made many children, from muggle, half-blood, and pure-blood families into orphans.

In fact, Grindelwald was the excuse Tom and Abraxas had come up with when explaining why Harry had been living with his distant relatives rather than his parents before the Malfoy's had adopted him.

"I heard he's the reason the muggles are fighting." Persephone whispered the longer the conversation went. "Remember all the bombings the last couple years? My father was pretty sure some of those bombs were enchanted to cause extra damage."

Harry froze. He remembered those bombings. He'd had nightmares about those bombings. If the Malfoy's had waited just a couple days after he'd collapsed then they would have been in Diagon Alley when the bombs had fallen.

"Guys. Drop it."

Harry didn't realize his shoulders were shaking until he felt a hand gripping him. "It's ok Harry. Just breath."

It wasn't Orion's voice that was right next to him and it wasn't Orion's hands on his shoulders. It was Tom. The moment Harry realized it was Tom he stood up and burrowed into the older teens embrace. He didn't care about what all the others thought of the display, all he cared about at that moment was being safe in Tom's arms.

"The war and Grindelwald are not meant for polite conversation." Tom's eyes were hard as he stared at the pre-teens that had upset his Harry. "Especially when there are so many that have been affected and hurt."

Tom had changed into his student robes and had partially wrapped Harry up in them to block out the rest of the world. "Come on. I'll take us to some place quiet." He murmured gently to Harry who only nodded weakly.

Swiftly Tom ushered Harry out of the train car to search out a quiet and private cabin in one of the other cars.

"What was that about?" Persephone asked as she looked from Eileen to Orion, who were both looking away from everyone else in guilt.

"Hadrian's parents were killed by Grindelwald. He and Tom grew up in London..." Orion explained slowly. It wasn't his place to reveal all his friend's secrets, but they needed to know. Orion should have stopped the conversation as soon as it had started, but he hadn't been thinking. "The Malfoy's adopted Tom and Harry. If they hadn't..." He left his words hanging there so that Persephone and Gifford would connect the dots themselves.

It took longer than Tom would have liked to find an empty cabin in another of the train cars, but eventually he did and carefully maneuvered Harry inside. The older teen threw up several silencing wards, and locking charms to keep people from coming inside or hearing what they were talking about.

"I'm sorry Tom." Harry whispered as he quickly wiped away the tears that had filled his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Shhh, it's alright." Tom wrapped Harry back up into his arms and held onto him. "They should have known better. The war is not a topic for children." Especially for children that had yet to feel the repercussions of the war.

"You're just overwhelmed. You're meeting a lot of new people today, we're far from home, and you're nervous about starting school. It's alright."

Harry shook his head, but didn't fight when Tom sat down and pulled him into his lap. "We weren't even in London when the bombs fell! I shouldn't be having nightmares about it. I shouldn't be such a...a big baby about it!"

Tom gently ran his fingers through Harry's wild locks to calm him down. "Remember what the mediwitch said?" He asked softly as he held the smaller boy close. "She told you that in your weakened state your magical senses were extra sensitive. Those bombs broke and damaged a lot of the magic in London. You felt that backlash."

In private the mediwitch had also suggested that Harry might have some seer capabilities with how accurate his dreams were. He wasn't an outright seer, the healer had tested for that, but his sensitivity to magic was unpredictable while in his sleep state.

Tom felt Harry nod slowly against his chest. "The war is still going on and London is still recovering. Those... _children_ have no idea about the devastation that has been caused nor do they know how much harm their words can do."

The longer Tom talked the better Harry felt. It'd been awhile since just the two of them spent time together. Normally they had either Abraxas, Orion, or some of the other kids around. Even at night Harry was usually forced to sleep in his own room instead of with Tom. He only got away with sneaking into Tom's room after a particularly bad nightmare.

Tom was never so glad to have such a strong connection with Harry thanks to the blood bond. Even when Tom had been at school and Harry at the Malfoy's, he'd been able to know instantly whenever Harry was having a panic attack or was upset. Likewise Harry always knew whenever Tom was particularly annoyed or angry.

And Tom got angry a lot when Harry wasn't near him.

"Better?" Tom whispered after nearly an hour of calming Harry down.

Harry nodded and rubbed his red eyes tiredly. "Yeah. How close to Hogwarts are we?" He asked as he looked out the window at the darkening sky.

Following Harry's gaze, Tom glanced at the sky and then sighed. "About a half hour give or take. We best get you changed into your school robes."

The rest of the trip to Hogwarts went smoothly after that. Harry even got an apology from both Persephone and Gifford after they had disembarked and just before the first years were led away from the older students.

"You'll see me during the feast." Tom told Harry as the younger boy waited until the last minute to join the other first years. Despite the fact that Harry had calmed down from earlier he was still feeling reluctant to leave Tom for any length of time and Tom could feel it.

"Why can't I just go with you?" Harry asked with an annoyed huff. "We're going to the same place."

Tom shook his head and gently nudged Harry towards the boats that were filling up. Orion was saving a place for Harry. "It's tradition. The boat trip is worth it, you'll see."

Harry finally gave up trying to follow after Tom when Orion called out for him. Eileen was in the boat as well and she was watching Harry worriedly.

"Don't keep your friends waiting." As much as Tom disliked the idea of sharing Harry, he knew the younger boy actually considered both Orion and Eileen to be his friends.

"You alright mate?" Orion asked once Harry was settled in his seat on the little boat.

"Please don't be too upset with Persephone. She didn't mean to upset you." Eileen whispered as she reached out to gently touch Harry's knee.

Harry smiled at his two friends. Other than Tom and Abraxas, Orion and Eileen were probably the closest friends he had. He and Orion had bonded over their love of flying and quidditch. It'd taken some time to figure out what he and Eileen had in common, but eventually they both found out that they had a fondness for gardening and cooking.

Eileen was still trying to convince Harry that potion making and cooking were similar enough that he would enjoy making potions.

All of Harry's thoughts stopped when the fog that had settled over the lake cleared to reveal a castle built up on the cliff overlooking the lake. The magic was so thick around the castle that Harry could practically see it glow against the night sky. The magic was swirling in a myriad of colors. Even the grounds around the castle were bathed in the castle's magical glow.

How in the world was he going to be able to survive in the middle of all that magic for an entire school year? It was beautiful, but even out on the lake Harry was starting to feel light headed and dizzy just looking at the magic.

"Harry?" Orion whispered his friend's name as the smaller boy started weave a bit from where he was sitting.

Ladon hissed softly and slipped up Harry's arm to go up to his neck. The little snake started hissing quickly in Harry's ear and after a minute or two the boy blinked and seemed to be able to focus a little better.

"Are you alright?" Eileen asked as the boats pulled up to the docks. "You looked like you were about to faint."

Harry rubbed at the back of his neck. "I'm fine. Just...got a little dizzy." His friends may know he was a parselmouth, but they didn't know about his sensitivity to magic. Ladon had been right about focusing on his bond with Tom to avoid being overwhelmed.

It helped a bit, focusing on the dark swirl of Tom's magic that Harry could pick up on through their bond. The magic of the castle was still there, looming over Harry, but it wasn't filling all of his senses like before.

Focusing on Tom's magic didn't stop Harry from noticing the dark and oppressing presence that was approaching them. The magic wasn't strong enough for Harry to see, but he could feel it as it ran across his skin. It felt like sludge clinging to his skin and weighing him down.

"Welcome first years."

Harry recognized the man the moment he stepped up to the group. Instinctively he hid a bit behind Orion which earned him a strange look, but the Black boy didn't say anything.

Albus Dumbledore stood before them, his hands clasped behind his back and his blue eyes twinkling above his half moon spectacles. He was smiling warmly down at the young students waiting to be taken to the great hall.

After Harry had turned 11, Dumbledore had searched for him at the orphanage only to discover that Harry had been adopted. And then the old man had showed up at the Malfoy Manor in order to deliver the letter to Harry.

The Professor had tried to, subtly, tell Harry about how the Malfoy family was a Dark wizarding family and that he needed to be careful. He'd come across as a warm grandfather type, but the magic that Harry had felt off of him had left the boy feeling gross.

Harry's instincts, then and now, were telling him to avoid eye contact and that's just what he did. He kept himself right behind Orion until the group was led up into the great hall.

"Now then," Professor Dumbledore turned back to the waiting first years once they were outside a large pair of doors. "Once inside you will be sorted into your houses. These houses will be your homes for the rest of your education here at Hogwarts. They will be your families." He smiled warmly at the students only for his smile to waver a moment as Harry looked down at the ground. "The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin."

Despite the man's smile and gentle words he seemed to jerk a bit at the name of the last house.

"If you will follow me, we'll go inside and get you sorted."

As soon as the doors opened Harry was looking around for Tom. A pull on their bond had Harry looking to the far left. His eyes locked with Tom's black eyes and Harry relaxed. A small smile settled on Harry's face when Tom nodded to him. When Tom subtly pointed up Harry tilted his head.

He gasped softly at the sight of the ceiling. He could see the enchanted sky, but also the magic that was swirling and dancing from star to star. The magic coiled and spun as it held up each of the many candles above the heads of the students and staff.

"When I call your name," Harry was pulled away from his marveling of the enchanted ceiling to look at Dumbledore. For a moment their eyes locked and Harry felt that gross sludge like magic creep over him. He felt the bond with Tom snap at him and Harry's eyes were quickly pulled away. "Please come up and take a seat here."

Dumbledore lifted a silk shawl to reveal a rather beaten up old wizard hat on the stool. A few of the first years were whispering to each other, especially those that hadn't been warned ahead of time.

The magic that Harry could actually see around and inside the castle was nothing compared to the magic that was the hat. It didn't swirl or dance like the magic in the air, no, the magic of the hat filled the hat so completely that Harry couldn't actually see the physical object.

Harry watched in fascination as the magic in the hat lit up just before the hat started singing about the founding of Hogwarts and the four founders.

The first names were called once the song was done and the students were sorted quickly. Orion, much to no one's surprise, went to Slytherin within seconds of the hat being lowered onto his head.

"Hadrian Malfoy."

Keeping his eyes away from Dumbledore and on the hat, Harry walked past Eileen and up to the stool. He sat down and took a deep breath in preparation for the hat's magic to overwhelm him once it was on his head.

Much to Harry's surprise the magic that filled the hat did nothing more than warm him. He felt like he was getting a hug rather than sitting on the stool with an overly large hat on his head.

 _"Well! You're finally here!"_

Harry jumped a little when suddenly there was a voice speaking to him. Tom had warned him that the hat could talk, but Harry hadn't completely believed it.

 _"I am a bit of a surprise that is true."_ The hat chuckled at Harry's thoughts. _"But you! I've been expecting you for quite some time._ "

Had Tom told the hat about Harry?

 _"Now, now, what happens during my sortings is private. I can't very well reveal the secrets of one student to another now can I?"_

No, a person's secrets were their own.

 _"Speaking of secrets, you have quite a few yourself. No worries, my seams are sealed._ " That got a small chuckle out of Harry. _"You have quite the fate ahead of you, young Potter. Or is it Malfoy now? The magic is binding and true. But one can never completely let go of who they truly are._ "

Harry had had so many names in his short life, but he held his true name close to his heart.

 _"As you should. Now then. Down to business shall we?"_ The hat shifted a little on Harry's head. _"There's a great deal of talent in this head of yours. You'll need it in the years to come. But Talent isn't everything."_ The hat rambled softly in Harry's ear.

Like he had said on the train, Harry would leave his sorting to the hat. He didn't know which house he would be best suited for, but he would prefer to be with his friends in Slytherin.

 _"Slytherin, aye? Yes, you would do well there. You have ambition to do your best, but just not in the way most Slytherin's have. You'd rather become stronger and make a name for yourself so you can protect and care for your loved ones._ "

Was that so wrong? To want to reach for the top to make things better for others?

 _"Of course not! It is admirable. Your ancestors would approve greatly."_ The hat assured the boy as it contemplated Harry. _"If you go to Slytherin you will meet with resistance. The house of snakes will make you stronger, help you build stronger bonds and gain allies, but it will not be easy._ "

Nothing in life was easy.

" _Wise beyond your years. You'd make a good Ravenclaw as well you know. Even Hufflepuff would do well for you."_

And what about Gryffindor?

 _"Ah. Yes. The Lions would make you strong, but you would have a hard time being around your old friends without making many enemies. Lions do not forgive those they label traitors."_

Having friends outside of your house made a person a traitor? That didn't seem fair.

 _"It isn't. It is not what the Founders had in mind either."_ The hat sighed wistfully. " _In the end though there is only one house that would work for you. With that bond of yours you'll need to stay close to your Tom. For both your sakes."_

Slytherin it was then. Harry felt light and happy at the decision; he'd get to stay with his friends!

 _"A word of advice if I may? If you are ever in trouble and your friends are not close, trust in Hogwarts. It's magic will protect you and it will guard your secrets as it has your ancestors for centuries."_ Before Harry had even time to think the hat yelled out his house.

The hat was jerked off of his head abruptly and the magic next to him coming from Dumbledore riled angrily. It didn't matter at the moment. All that mattered was getting over to the table under the green banners and to be with Tom again.

Cold blue eyes watched Harry as the boy darted away from the stool and over to the Slytherin table. He took the open seat between Tom and Abraxas and was all smiles even as Dumbledore called out the next name.

"You were under the hat for a long time. Your sorting took longer than even Tom's did." Abraxas informed Harry even as Eileen joined them at the Slytherin table.

"Too bad Rupert got put in Gryffindor." Orion said with a sigh. "It's going to be impossible to hang out now."

"Why?" Harry asked with a tilt of his head. "Just because he's in another house doesn't mean we can't be friends."

One of the older students, Lestrange if Harry remembered right, snorted and rolled his eyes. "I'll eat my broom if those stubborn lions let your friend even get close to you."

All conversation ended when the sorting ended and a man at the head table stood up. "Welcome, welcome to a near year at Hogwarts! Welcome to the old students, who I hope are planning on being good examples to our new students. Welcome to our first years! And welcome to our new MediWizard Sir Leighleas who has graciously agreed to step in for Madam Malicent who has retired to spend more time with her grandchildren in Australia."

The headmaster waved a hand to one end of the table where another wizard stood up to take a bow.

The mediwizard looked completely average to the majority of the staff and students, but Harry could sense something strange about him. It felt like the man's magic was being constrained, held back, so Harry couldn't get a good feel for how strong the wizard was. Unlike Dumbledore, who's magic left Harry feeling ill, this wizard's magic felt like static and made Harry rub at his arms.

Harry could usually get a feel for what a person was like by how he responded to their magic, but Sir Leighleas didn't come of as good or bad. He just existed.

Tom caught Harry rubbing at his arms, heard when Ladon hissed softly when Harry's hand bumped him, so he looked in the direction Harry was staring.

Sir Leighleas was of average built with dark auburn hair styled simply and plain brown eyes. He had a charming smile and moved gracefully as he waved and then took his seat once more. Tom's instincts weren't riled. He would need to talk to Harry later in private to learn why harry was fidgeting so much.

"With introductions out of the way, let us eat to our fill!"

* * *

Special thanks to: Louise to, Maurey

See you guys next Monday!


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: nope. still don't own it.

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 15: Eventual first Month

"First years this way," The Slytherin Prefect called out as the feast ended and Headmaster Dippet released the students to go to their dorms for the night. "This way please."

Tom chuckled softly when Harry yawned as he stood up. He wasn't surprised that Harry was worn out, not after everything that had happened the entire day. Meeting new people, having a near panic attack, almost being overwhelmed by the old magic that made up Hogwarts, and then a full meal? It was a simple equation that equaled out to a sleepy pre-teen.

Most of the older students went on ahead of the first years, but Tom, Abraxas, and a couple others stayed close to the first years. Tom had made it very clear to his group, his followers, that Harry was to be looked after. Last year a few of his followers had questioned why, but even Abraxas had stood up and told them that they were not to argue.

After all, Harry was Abraxas and Tom's younger brother.

"Alright first years. Slytherin dorms are down in the dungeons. It gets slippery at night so watch your steps."

The Hufflepuff students were not far behind the Slytherin's and Harry was told that their dorms were close to the kitchens down below as well.

For a moment Harry caught sight of Rupert being led away by a Gryffindor Prefect and Harry sighed sadly.

"You'll see him in classes tomorrow Harry." Tom squeezed Harry's shoulder comfortingly. "I'll make sure everyone knows Rupert is a friend." That should keep most of the older Slytherin's from bullying Harry and Orion into breaking off their friendship with the newly sorted Gryffindor boy.

As they descended into the dungeons the air began to chill and, as the Prefect had said, the floors started to get slick. Harry could hear Ladon complaining about the chill in the air so he adjusted his shirt sleeve to make sure the little snake was properly covered.

"Alright first years. Here's the entrance to Slytherin Dungeon." The prefect told the group as he pointed to the wall behind him. "You need a password to get in. For this week the password is 'Salazar'," The wall slid sideways to reveal a large common room filled with comfortable plush seats, a blazing fire in an elaborately carved mantelpiece, a huge beautiful painting of a brilliant green snake whose head was moving around to watch the students, green tinted windows, and green lights hanging from the ceiling. "A new password will be posted on the board over there every Sunday night."

"This is the Slytherin Common Room. When not in classes or in your dorm rooms you can come here to relax, study, or socialize." The girl and boy prefects led the way into the common room before bowing to a man that came over to join the group.

"Good evening my new little snakes." The man was very round in the middle and had a smile that seemed too wide for his face. "I am professor Slughorn and I will be your Head of House." He stuck his thumbs into his belt and smiled at all the faces looking up at him. "If you ever need anything, have questions or concerns don't be afraid to come to talk to me."

The prefects bowed again after Professor Slughorn excused himself to head back to his own rooms. "Before you get your assigned dorm rooms we have a few rules to inform you of." The girl prefect told the first years.

Tom and his group had gone to lounge on the sofas and chairs that were closest to the group of first years.

"First and foremost do not share the password with anyone outside of Slytherin. Do not bring any non Slytherins into our dorm."

"Any conflicts or disagreements you might have with other Slytherins are to stay here in the dorms. We must present a united front to the rest of the school."

"All students besides prefects, headboy, and headgirl must adhere to the curfew unless given permission from a professor. You will not be caught outside the dorm after curfew."

That garnered a few laughs from Tom's group.

"Slytherin is a proud house and you will carry yourself with dignity, poise, and excellence. Point loss will not be tolerated."

There were even more chuckles coming from the older students sitting a few feet away and the Prefects glared over at them.

"Now them. Dorm assignments." The prefect pulled out a scroll and began reading off who was sharing rooms with whom.

There were 4 first year girls and 6 first year boys in total. The girls all had to share a room while the boys were split between two rooms.

Harry ended up assigned to a room with Orion and a boy named Nathan McGreggor. Their dorm room was large, not as large as his room back home, but still pretty big for 3 boys. Each boy had a bed and a desk, and in the center of the room was a circular open fireplace with leather sofas around it. The fire in the fireplace flickered in different shades of green and even though it gave off heat when Harry reached out to it he wasn't burned.

The beds were large enough that if they wanted two bodies could easily fit into one bed. Soft green curtains hung from the canopy and could easily be closed for privacy. To the back of the room was a door that led to a private bathroom that had a claw footed tub and other necessities for a bathroom.

"Nice to see our things were delivered safely." The new boy, Nathan, said with a sniff as he went to his trunk to open it up. Once he had gone through his things, probably to make sure everything was there, he turned to Orion and Harry and held out a hand. "Nathan McGreggor. Pleasure to meet you."

Orion was the first to take his hand to shake it once. "Orion Black and this is Hadrian Malfoy." Harry took the offered hand once he was introduced.

"Settled in Harry?"

The three boys looked to the door quickly and Harry broke out in a smile when he saw Tom leaning against the door frame.

Nathan frowned at the older student, but he didn't say anything when Harry went over to give the older student a hug.

"Just about. We were just getting to know each other." Tom was gently petting a hand through Harry's hair as Harry spoke. With a flick of his eyes Tom glanced up at the new boy that he had yet to learn about.

"McGreggor. I assume your mother is Tempest McGreggor?" The woman worked at the Ministry in the Department of Transportation. Even though Tom didn't know Nathan, he knew of his mother.

Nathan nodded a little dumbfounded that this older student would know of his mother.

"Hm." With that Tom promptly looked away from Nathan to focus on Harry once more. "The fire is perfectly safe. Ophion likes to sleep in the one in our room so Ladon should enjoy your fire as well." Tom entered the room and went over to one of the seats set around the fireplace.

Harry pulled up his sleeve to look at his sleep snake, who was still complaining about being chilled. With a smirk he went over to the fireplace and let the little snake uncurl from his wrist to slither into the green flames.

"If neither myself nor Abraxas is available and you need something, Harry, you are to go to Alf Mulciber, Mervyn Rowle, Ridgewell Avery, Laurence Nott, or Sebastian Lestrange. In that order preferably." There were others that Harry could go to, but those five were the ones Tom trusted the most to make sure his Harry would be safe. "The Black girls would be good choices as well." If nothing else because they thought Harry was adorable.

Harry nodded quickly. He had no doubt that Tom was being protective for a perfectly good reason.

"You'll do well in classes Harry. I've already told you which professors you can go to and which to avoid." Yes, Harry knew exactly which professor Tom was talking about. If Harry could help it he would only ever see Dumbledore during his classes and meals.

Tom lounged on the seat for a few more minutes after that before sighing and standing up. "Try to get a full night of sleep. I'm just a few doors down." He gave Harry a quick hug before letting go to head back to the common room to talk to his followers and allies for a little while.

Harry tried to be strong and let Tom leave for the night, but he wavered just as Tom reached to close the door to his room.

With quick steps Harry went to the door and wrapped Tom up in a tight hug. Tom quickly held Harry close until the younger boy was ready to let go.

"Sleep well Harry." Tom murmured into Harry's hair before pushing Harry towards his bed for the night.

Being as exhausted as he was from a day full of activity, Harry was able to fall asleep fairly quickly and he slept soundly enough to not be awakened until morning.

Back in the common room Tom took his customary seat in a single high back seat. The other couches had been positioned to surround his chair to show his place in the student hierarchy.

"How's our little brother doing?" Abraxas asked once Tom was settled. It was best to reinforce the fact that Hadrian was their precious baby brother as often as possible to keep any of the weaker minded Slytherins in line.

"Tired. I placed a dreamless sleep charm on him so he should be able to sleep through the night." The last thing Harry needed was to have a nightmare in a new place.

Abraxas nodded and settled back in the his chair that was situated directly to Tom's right.

"I want to make it perfectly clear that Harry is to be watched closely. Orion Black will do well to keep him safe during classes, but between classes and during meals Harry is to have at least one of you within sight. Especially if Dumbledore is nearby."

None of the Slytherins liked the Transfiguration professor and they knew that there was a silent feud between Tom and Dumbledore. They already knew Harry's schedule and had worked out a system to make sure one of the upper years would be able to keep watch.

"Tom?" Antonin Dolohov, a third year that had shown a great deal of loyalty to Tom early on, lifted his hand up to get Tom's attention. "Will Hadrian be included in our group?"

Dolohov wasn't talking about the group as they were sitting in the common room. He was talking about the Knights of Walpurgis.

Tom crossed his arms over his chest in thought. He wanted to keep Harry as far away from his political ambitions for as long as possible. Tom knew his knights would be getting their hands dirty in the future and Harry was too good of a person to get involved in such things.

"No. At least not until he's older."

Abraxas let out the breath he'd been holding. He knew that Tom wouldn't want Harry involved in things, and Abraxas himself was only going to be involved in the background and not an active player in the Knights, but it was a relief to hear Tom say it.

"And Black?" Lestrange growled out.

"We'll make the offer when he is older." Tom was only really considering 3rd years because he was trying to build up his numbers. He wanted to make sure he had a fairly large follower base before he graduated so that he would have support for his political ventures in the future.

"Another thing." Tom crossed one leg over his knee as he spoke. "Rupert Flint. He was sorted into Gryffindor." He waited until he was sure his group were listening. "He is currently a ward of the Malfoy family and a good friend to Hadrian and Orion. He is not to be bothered."

A few of the Slytherins looked like they wanted to argue, but a sharp look from Tom with his black eyes stopped them. He would not accept any sort of arguments unless they were valid.

"As a ward of the Malfoy family, Rupert Flint has the protection of the Malfoy's." Abraxas explained with a roll of his eyes. "Whichever house he is in doesn't negate that protection. If he is harassed at any point by any Slytherin, then the Slytherin in question will have to deal with myself, Tom, and the full force of the Malfoy name."

That seemed to settle the matter and the discussion was closed.

"You all know what needs to be done. We'll meet again Saturday night." Tom waved a hand dismissively and the majority of the group stood up and left. After a few minute of shuffling the only ones left were Abraxas, Tom, and Alf.

"What is it Alf?" Tom asked when the pale brown haired stood before him.

"The Gryffindors won't like Rupert hanging out with Slytherins." He stated simply. "Do you want me to keep an ear out for whispers?" Alf smiled a bit darkly. He was exceptionally good at gathering info.

Tom thought about that for a moment. He could control the Slytherin house rather well, but the Gryffindors? They had rules all of their own and they wouldn't be easily intimidated. So he nodded to show his acceptance of Alf's offer.

"Do it."

The last thing any of them needed was Harry getting hurt and losing control of his magic.

Nothing of any real importance happened during the first couple weeks of school. Harry proved he was very much a Slytherin by carefully showing his teachers his intelligence, but not overly so. He already knew everything that was to be taught for the first few years of school, but the three Malfoy brothers agreed that the youngest should not draw too much attention to himself.

In fact the only class Harry made an effort to not get ANY attention was transfiguration. He made himself seem as average as possible while under the blue gaze of Albus Dumbledore.

Where ever Harry went, when not in class, at least one of the older students would join him. Alf was usually the one to take up the role and Harry learned to enjoy the older boy's gossip and talkative nature. Harry even made a point to try and make Alf laugh; which wasn't too difficult, but his laughs always sounded genuine.

What Harry didn't know was that the older Slytherins were being extra careful. As Alf had predicted the older Gryffindor students were not happy at all with the friendship between Rupert, Orion, and Harry. They'd told Rupert to break it off, but Rupert had insisted that both Orion and Harry were great.

In conjuncture with running his Knights of Walpurgis, being top student of his year, charming his teachers, and watching over Harry, Tom was also searching the school.

Over the years he'd dug into the history of the Slytherin house and had gathered as much information about his ancestor as Tom could. He'd learned everything he could about the Chamber of Secrets and knew he was close to finding it.

There was just one last thing he needed.

"Harry, could I borrow Ladon for a little bit?" Tom asked when he found the younger boy curled up on one of the couches in the Slytherin common room. Tom braced himself on the back of the couch to hover over Harry. "You can keep Ophion with you if you'd like."

It was well known by this point that the two boys both had garter snakes. The majority of the Slytherin house hadn't really cared about the little snakes; they were just garter snakes and garter snakes weren't exactly known to be magical, dangerous, or poisonous.

Harry looked up from his book, one of Tom's old fourth year books, and frowned. There was only one real reason Tom would want Ladon. Ophion's ability, after spending so much time around magical cores, was related to healing simple injuries. Ladon on the other hand had a perfect sense of direction and could even sense what an area around him looked like.

"I'm coming too." Harry closed his book and before Tom could tell him no, raced back to his room to put the book down and pick up Ladon.

Tom sighed and rubbed his forehead. He would have rather left Harry in the dorms where he would be safe. All the rumors he'd found about the Chamber of Secrets had talked about traps and a dangerous creature living within it.

"Let's go!" Harry returned, Ladon wrapped around his neck and flicking his tongue out to scent the air. The snakes little eyes were already glowing gently so Tom knew Harry had already told the snake that they were going to go searching for something.

"Harry-"

"I'm coming Tom! I spent 3 years stuck in that one room. Do you really think I'm going to miss out on exploring Hogwarts?" Harry placed his hands on his hips and glared up at Tom.

Looking into those pale green eyes Tom broke. It was true that Harry hadn't really gotten to look around the old school. He knew Hogsmeade better than he knew Hogwarts. Harry had even done as Tom had asked and not gone wandering around the school even after weeks of going to and from classes.

"Fine. But you are to do everything that I say." Tom warned as they left the dorms. Breakfast had been a couple hours ago and it was a Saturday so they had plenty of time to find the Chambers and do a quick exploration. _"Ladon. We're trying to find a secret passage that will lead far below the dungeons."_ Tom told the snake once he was sure there were no unwanted ears listening in. _"I think the entrance will be somewhere on the first floor."_

Ladon's eyes were still glowing as he listened to Tom's words. He nodded in understanding and then focused on the world around him, his tongue flickering out faster.

To help the process the two boys went up to the first floor and began walking around. Ladon's ability only went so far. The snake had once described it as looking out all around and the farther he looked the blurrier the world got.

 _"It stinks."_ Ladon informed the boys once he had found something. _"Straight ahead. Through that door. It stinks."_ The snake looked to grimace before burrowing down under Harry's collar to protect his poor senses.

Ladon's assessment made sense once they went through the door. It was the girl's bathroom and it smelled just like a bathroom.

"This seems like an odd place for a secret entrance." Harry mumbled as he glanced around.

 _"There. In the middle of the floor."_ Ladon didn't even bother to peak out from Harry's collar as he spoke.

The only thing at the center of the bathroom floor were the sinks. Harry and Tom looked at each other skeptically before searching around to find something of interest.

"Harry, here!" Tom waved for Harry to come over as he knelt down to look under one of the sinks. There, under the porcelain, was coiled up metal snake affixed to the sink. The two looked at each other again before Tom shrugged and hissed at the snake decoration. At first nothing happened so Tom hissed at it again with a different order.

It took a couple tries, but eventually the snake uncoiled and the sink dropped down to reveal a tunnel that fell down into darkness.

"Do we...jump?" Harry asked as he looked down into the dark.

Tom groaned and grabbed Harry just to make sure the pre-teen didn't do just that. Tom hissed again and demanded stairs to be made and sure enough, stairs came out from the walls of the tunnel spiraling down into the dark.

"Sometimes I wonder if you're secretly a Gryffindor." Tom grumbled as he led the way down the stairs.

Once they were past the opening the sink lifted back up into place as if they had never been there.

Harry was sure they'd been going down the stairs for hours when in reality it probably only took twenty or thirty minutes. The descending tunnel itself had been pitch black and even a lumos from both boys had barely penetrated the dark.

The darkness gave way when they finally made it to the end. Green light barely lit up the slime covered walls. When Harry took a step forward there was a loud crunching sound and he looked down to find he had stepped on a skeleton of a rat.

"Gross." Harry lifted his foot and stepped around the piles of bones.

"Indeed." Tom quickly used several cleaning spells he had learned in order to clean up at least some of the slime, mold, bones, and other disgusting unknowns up as they walked.

They had found the chamber at least. The walls were covered in snake carvings and effigy's who's eyes seemed to follow Harry and Tom as they walked past.

Any normal person would have been freaked out by the snakes that were around them, but Harry just felt curious. He would have been touching all the snake statues, but one look from Tom had him holding back.

 _"What do you think is down here?"_ Harry asked, his speech slipping into parseltongue the longer he looked at all the snakes. A few of the snakes turned their heads instantly towards Harry at the sound of him hissing and he jumped.

Tom rolled his eyes. The younger boy had never had the control that Tom had had over the snake language. Still, speaking parseltongue would probably keep any traps from triggering.

 _"Rumors say a creature that Salazar left in order to cleanse the school of those unworthy of magical education_." Tom eyed the snakes as they watched the two of them. His instincts had told him they'd already passed a couple traps, and yet they hadn't gone off.

 _"That's awful."_ Harry said with a deep frown. _"Magic is wonderful. If you're born with magic it'd be horrible if it were taken away."_ He couldn't imagine his life without magic. Magic was what brought him and Tom together.

Tom shook his head slightly, but he wasn't going to argue with Harry. He could think of a few people that didn't deserve the magic they had. One being Dumbledore. He knew Harry wouldn't see it that way; the pre-teen was too gentle at heart.

Finally the two turned a corner and entered a large chamber that was partially submerged.

 _"Oh wow!"_ Just above the water was the head of large statue. Harry glanced into the water and could barely make out the rest of the statue. _"How deep do you think it is?_ "

Tom didn't answer. Instead he stood there staring at the head of the statue. The mouth looked like it could move, which he was sure meant it was a secret entrance. He pulled Harry behind him after a few minutes of thinking, which only caused Harry to ask questions.

When he was sure Harry wouldn't leave from behind him, Tom straightened up and hissed at the statue. _"I am the Heir of Slytherin. Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of Hogwarts 4."_

At first nothing happened, but then the mouth of the statue slowly started to open with a loud grinding sound of stone against stone.

For a long time after the statue's mouth opened nothing happened. And then both Tom and Harry heard a loud hissing sound from within the darkness of the passage the mouth had revealed.

 _"Does the Heir call for me?"_

Tom had a vague idea as to what was hidden within the passage. "Keep your eyes closed Harry." Tom whispered in English. "Do not open them until I tell you."

The hissing kept getting louder and louder and Harry could feel something scraping against stone. And then something heaving slipped into the pool of water Harry had been looking down into.

 _"I am the heir. Keep your eyes closed I do not want you to harm my companion."_

It was a snake that Tom was talking to, it had to be, but why did Tom want Harry to keep his eyes closed?

"You can open your eyes now Harry."

The first thing Harry saw when he opened his eyes and looked past Tom was wall of black scales. He gaped at the creature, a giant black snake that had it's head lowered and bowed to Tom. i"Wow."/i no other words could describe the creature that had joined them in the flooded chamber.

The magic the snake was giving off was dark, but it was smooth against Harry's senses; much like Ladon's scales felt against Harry's skin. It was wild, powerful, and beautiful.

 _"May I touch you?"_ Harry asked as his hand lifted a little from his side. He wanted to see if the scales of the giant snake felt anything like it's magic.

At first the snake didn't say anything. Instead it waited until Tom told Harry it was alright.

As gently as he could Harry reached out to set his hand against the snake's neck, just below it's head. Upon closer inspection the scales weren't actually black, but an intensely dark green color that shifted to black when the light wasn't hitting the scales.

 _"Beautiful. You're beautiful."_ Harry had no reason to fear the snake seeing as how it was obeying Tom's every command.

The snake made a hissing sound that was similar to the sounds Ladon and Opion would make when particularly pleased.

 _"What is your name, Basilisk?"_ Tom asked as Harry continued to rub at the scales beneath his hands.

 _"Senestra, my Master."_ The basilisk answered. She continued to hold completely still as Harry rubbed at her scales along her neck. _"I have been asleep for so long, Master. Let me feed."_

 _"Not on humans."_ Tom nodded and gently tugged Harry away from the basilisk so the snake could move away into another dim passage to one side of the chamber.

Once the basilisk was gone Tom felt his shoulders relax. "I worry about you Harry. Do you have no sense of self preservation?"

Harry looked up at Tom in confusion before smiling. _"Senestra was listening to you so I knew I would be safe. You wouldn't let her attack me._ "

Tom's cheeks colored slightly and he had to look away from Harry's warm and trusting smile. Sometimes Harry was too innocent for his own good, but the trust Harry had placed in Tom made the older teen feel warm and happy.

"Come on. Let's explore for a bit. I want to try and find Salazar's private library."

For a few hours Tom and Harry wandered around the various passageways, Tom using cleaning spells on everything, until they found a dead end that had the head of a snake and strange writing around it.

 _"To unlock the path, a sacrifice of blood must be made. But beware! I will only answer to the blood of the purest line and I will attack if filth touches my tongue."_

Tom sighed softly. It wasn't that tricky of a riddle. So, with a light cutting hex against the palm of his hand, he let a few drops of his blood fall onto the serpents tongue. Ophion quickly healed the cut even as Harry tried to look at the injury himself.

The snake's head moved aside and a new hallway was revealed to the two boys. Torches lit up along the walls the moment Tom and Harry stepped within. Doors lined the hall, each with the strange writing on them.

"This is it!" The normally reserved and calm Tom couldn't stop the excitement that seeped from him. He read each door plate until he find the library. The door opened easily enough and inside were rows upon rows of book shelves.

So distracted by the library, Tom didn't notice as Harry slipped back out down the hall and back to the flood chamber. Ladon had told him that Senestra had returned to the flood chamber and Harry, as curious as ever, wanted to go talk to the basilisk.

 _"Hello Senestra."_ Harry called out once he made it back to the flooded chamber.

The basilisk hissed a greeting and swung her head around to look at the small human that had accompanied her master.

 _"You are a speaker, but not an heir of Slytherin."_ It was a statement of fact and not a question. _"What are you to my master?"_

Harry rubbed at the back of his head and blushed a little. _"Tom and I are best friends. He saved me when I was real little and we've been together ever since_."

Senestra slowly moved closer to Harry, her large tongue flicking out to scent the air around Harry. _"His scent is in your magic. Are you mates?_ "

That had Harry turning a bright red and he quickly shook his head. _"No! Not really! I mean we have a blood bond thing, but we're not m-mates or anything."_

The little human intrigued Senestra. She settled her head down in front of Harry so she could better watch him.

Harry's hands twitched. He so wanted to pet Senestra's scales again. " _Did you find something to eat?_ "

 _"Of course. There is plenty to eat if you know where to look."_ She shifted a little closer so that her snout was barely an inch from Harry. _"You are a curious one. You may touch me. It has been a long time since I have been touched._ "

There was a sadness in her voice and Harry felt his heart tighten in his chest. He reached out and rubbed his hand along Senestra's snout and then between her eyes. Ladon always liked when Harry rubbed at that spot so he assumed Senestra might as well.

 _"Are you...are you alone down here?"_ Harry asked sadly as Senestra pressed a bit into his hand so he would keep rubbing. _"Must be lonely. I know what it's like to be alone._ " He'd always been so lonely whenever he'd been stuck with the Dursley's.

 _"I sleep when I am alone. Sleeping helps."_ Senestra liked being able to talk to someone. The last heir hadn't spent much time with her and had preferred she stay out of his sight.

The two were silent for awhile. Eventually Harry ended up climbing up onto Senestra so he could rub at spots just below her horns. The old basilisk seemed to enjoy that.

 _"If you want we could be friends."_ Harry said as he found a particularly nice spot that made the basilisk squirm and hiss happily. _"Ladon could be your friend too! Right Ladon?"_ The little garter snake had chosen to stay under Harry's collar while his boy had gotten to know the Queen of Snakes.

 _"Friends? Haven't had a friend since first Master."_ Senestra hissed thoughtfully. This young human was bonded to her current master so she would listen to him to an extent. There was something about his magic that reminded her of something; something that she couldn't remember off the top of her head.

 _"Then we'll be friends! I'll come down to talk to whenever I can! I'll tell you all about school and maybe we can go exploring together"_

That's how Tom found them after some time. He'd been so engrossed with the books he'd been searching through that it wasn't until he tried to show Harry something he'd found that he'd realized his friend was gone.

Desperately he had raced from the library, searching the various rooms until he returned to the chamber to find Harry stretched out on top of the basilisk chatting to it happily.

"Damn it Harry." Tom rubbed at his temples as he fought to get his heart rate back under control. "You scared me to death! Don't wander off on your own like that; there are numerous traps down here that could have seriously hurt you!"

Harry pouted, but he looked away guiltily. Tom was right, he shouldn't have wandered off like that. He'd promised Tom he would stay close to him before they'd even come down to the chamber.

 _"Traps will not harm little hatchling friend_." Senestra quickly assured Tom before he could get too angry. _"Little hatchling has bond with Master. Salazar's magic will allow any bonded with his heir to enter safely."_

Harry sputtered for a moment as he sat up on Senestra's back. _"I'm not little! Or a hatchling!"_

Senestra turned her head a bit which almost knocked Harry off her. _"I am centuries old. You are a hatchling. A hatchling bonded to my master and under my protection._ "

Tom didn't know if he should feel relief or laugh at the entire situation. When doing his research of the Chamber of Secrets he hadn't once taken into account his blood bond with Harry. He tuned out the snake and Harry arguing over Harry's status as a 'hatchling' to think about the implications of all this.

He knew the bond kept Harry in the past with him. He knew they could sense each other's emotions through the bond. Tom also knew that they could share their magic with each other to some extent through the bond. The fact that Harry was a parselmouth was probably a bi-product of the bond they shared.

The fact that Harry had the protection of the basilisk was something that Tom was immensely grateful for as well. If anything happened Harry could escape down into the chamber and stay safe with Senestra.

" _Thank you Senestra. Your protection of Harry is most appreciated."_ Tom piped up once Harry and Senestra stopped their bickering long enough for him to interrupt. _"Harry and I need to return now though. We've been here long enough we missed lunch and we can't miss dinner."_

The giant basilisk seemed hesitant to allow either Tom or Harry to leave. Tom was her master and he was the one that would give her orders, but little Harry was Tom's bonded which meant she would need to protect him. Little Harry was too young and the maternal instincts that had been asleep for centuries surfaced. Protecting the little hatchling would obviously make her master happy as well. But her master said they needed to go back.

Senestra finally relented and allowed Harry to slide down off her back.

" _We'll return as often as we can."_ Tom told the basilisk gently when her head lowered sadly. _"Are there any other ways in and out of the chamber? Say...closer to the Slytherin student dorms?_ "

Senestra showed Tom and Harry the way to another of the entrances. When she asked Tom for any orders, he told her to do as she pleased so long as she stayed out of sight and did not harm any students or staff.

When they made it back to the dorms several of the other students had questions about where they had vanished all day. One look from Tom had the older students going silent while Harry told Orion and Eileen he was spending time with Tom exploring the school.

Tom had warned Harry not to tell anyone about the Chamber or Senestra; at least until he could gauge how people would react.

"There's still time before dinner. Want to go meet up with Rupert in the library to go over our Potions homework?" Orion suggested which both Eileen and Harry agreed to. "He said he'd go up to study after lunch."

As the trio left Tom nodded to Abraxas to show that he was to follow after Harry. The older Gryffindor's had been quiet for the most part, but Tom still didn't trust them not to do anything.

"I need to get a few books for my arithmancy work." Abraxas proclaimed loudly as he caught up with Harry and the others. "I'll head up with you."

Just as Orion had known, Rupert was up in the library struggling over his potions paper that Slughorn had assigned for the weekend. With both Harry and Eileen helping, the four first years were able to quickly finish up their work and were able to just hangout for a little while afterwards before dinner.

Abraxas stayed out of the way, but at one point he noticed a few older Gryffindors sending Harry, Orion, and Eileen poisonous looks. He stepped out from behind the book shelves he'd been watching from and pointedly looked at them with a deep scowl.

When the Gryffindors finally noticed Abraxas they scattered. It was obvious they were planning something, they were nowhere near as cunning as a Slytherin, and Abraxas didn't like it. He would need to tell Tom about this during the group meeting tonight after dinner.

For a week after Tom and Harry found the chamber nothing obvious happened. At least none of the first years noticed anything going on, but the older Slytherins had already stopped several Gryffindors from approaching the first years on several occasions. Tom and Abraxas both made it known that the Slytherin students needed to be on alert. Something was up.

It wasn't until after the first quidditch match that something came from all the aggression that had been building up between the older Slytherins and Gryffindors. The match, which had been between the two rival houses, had been violent and loud. At least three of the players had been injured before the Slytherin seeker finally caught the snitch to end the game.

The game had been close right up until the golden ball was caught.

"That was amazing!" Harry was all smiles and feeling super energetic once the game was over and the students began filing out of the stands. The press of bodies made it hard to hear Orion, Eileen, or Rupert, but he didn't care. "Did you see how the Gryffindor Keeper swooped in and stopped the Slytherin chasers? He nearly fell off his broom!" It was cool that his team had won, but that didn't stop him from admitting that the rival team had done amazing maneuvers as well.

He heard his name being called, but Harry was too caught up with his play by play description of the game to notice.

With the crowd pushing him along, Harry failed to realize he had been separated from his three friends as well as the older Slytherins that were supposed to be watching over his little group.

Harry didn't realize it until he was pushed free from the crowd just out of the quidditch pitch and roughly dragged out of view of all the other students and staff.

"Hey!" Harry tried to cry out, but a hand was slammed over his mouth just before something hard slammed into his stomach. He felt Ladon hissing angrily before the snake left Harry to find help.

"Was that a snake?!"

"Of course it was. This little shit's in Slytherin."

"Shut up and keep watch."

Harry's head began swimming as another hit landed against the side of his head. Pain spiked through his entire body as he fell to the ground and what felt like kicks were being delivered all over his body.

"This is what you get for trying to corrupt Flint."

He was being beaten up because of Flint? No. He was being attacked because Harry had made a choice to stay friends with Rupert.

Memories of the times the Dursleys had abused him flashed through Harry's mind and his thoughts stopped. He curled up instinctively, but he couldn't convince himself to fight back. Harry wasn't sure if he was having a hard time breathing because the older students where attacking him or because he couldn't stop seeing his uncle's ugly angry face staring down at him while smacking him around for dropping a plate.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

The beatings stopped suddenly, but Harry was having a hard time noticing anything past the pain and the memories of his relatives.

Someone was yelling Harry's name, but the voice was being mixed up with his Aunt and Uncle's voices and Harry could only curl up even more to protect himself from further blows.

"Harry! Harry calm down!"

Even with his eyes open, Harry couldn't see what was going on. He flinched when something touched his shoulder and suddenly his magic lashed out. The attack had happened so suddenly Harry hadn't been able to even call on his magic. Now though his magic was reacting to both the panic attack and the pain that was coursing through Harry.

"Shit! Someone get Tom!"

Someone else tried to touch Harry, but he whimpered and his magic pulsed. There were several thuds as people landed a few feet away.

"Out of my way!"

His memories had shifted and now he couldn't stop remembering the time his uncle had thrown him into a wall when he'd been 3. Harry's head had hit the wall hard and he'd been sick for weeks afterwards.

"Harry, Harry it's me." A soft voice called through the horrifying memories that were playing on repeat through his mind. A gentle caress of magic touched against Harry's own magic and a sob broke through his swollen throat.

He knew that magic, he knew that voice. Memories of when he'd first met Tom replaced the ugly snarls of his uncle and aunt and slowly Harry was pulled from his panic attack.

"To-" Harry's voice broke and he coughed hard.

"Sir Leighleas is almost here Harry. Focus on me. That's it. Ophion is doing what he can." Tom used what healing spells he knew to take away the pain Harry was feeling, to distance him from the pain, but Tom hadn't spent much time learning about healing magic. His little garter snake could barely heal the cuts and bruises; he couldn't do much about the internal damage.

Pain from his neck reminded Harry of the time his uncle had nearly chocked him to death and he shivered as the memory threatened to overwhelm him.

"Hey now! Don't think about them. Think about the beach. Remember the first time we went to the beach? It'd been freezing, but you had still insisted on swimming for hours." Tom whispered as he felt through their bond when Harry started to freeze in terror again. "You nearly gave me a heart attack with how far out you went and you didn't even know how to swim properly!"

The memory of that day came to Harry and his mind settled into remembering the biting chill of the water, the yells from Tom for Harry to be careful, and the joy Harry had felt of being free in the water.

"Remember that shell you found? The one with the spikes? Remember how you said we'd find a home one day? We did. We found a home. We're both safe now Harry."

Tom's voice was getting softer and Harry was having a hard time staying awake. There was another voice now, an older voice, that was insisting that Harry stay awake. He was so tired though and his entire body felt so heavy. Couldn't he just sleep for a little while?

Harry was pulled from falling asleep when he was jostled and lifted up. He whimpered and cried out weakly when a stab of pain went through his chest.

"I've stabilized Hadrian, but I need to get him up to the medical wing. Professor Slughorn, would you please escort everyone else up to Headmaster Dippet's office?"

"I'm coming with you." Tom's voice was the only one Harry cared about and he wanted to nod. He didn't feel safe without Tom.

"I don't have time to argue. Come along then."

It felt like Harry was floating in a haze for eternity. Once in awhile he would hear Tom or whom he assumed was the mediwizard for the school reminding him to stay awake. At one point he was sure he was resting on a bed, but his body had been numbed so it was hard to tell.

Finally Harry was told he could get some rest and go to sleep.

"Tom-"

"I'm right here Harry. I'll stay right here until you wake up."

That was all the assurance Harry needed. If Tom said he would do something then nothing in the world would stop him. With that last thought Harry slipped into a dreamless sleep thanks to the potion that had slipped past his lips moments ago.

Tom waited until Harry was sound asleep before looking up at the mediwizard that was carefully casting spell after spell over Harry.

"He'll be out for at least 12 hours if not more." Sir Leighleas told Tom as he worked. "I would suggest you go up to the headmaster's office to give your own statement. I'm sure you'll want to know exactly who attacked your friend."

Tom's eyes narrowed at the mediwizard, but the man was right. Tom wanted to know exactly who had been involved with the attack. He wanted to know first hand without any of his followers having to report to him.

But...he didn't want to leave Harry's side. Tom could feel his chest tightening painfully as he looked at the blood and bruised boy that he cared so much for.

"It was close, but your friend will live. I promise you that." Leighleas thought for a moment. "If you would wait a moment, I'll write a note to the headmaster about Hadrian Malfoy's status. You can take it up to the headmaster for me."

Tom nodded and he sat back down in the seat next to Harry's chair.

The mediwizard worked for a few more minutes on Harry until he was satisfied that the boy would be safe enough to wait a few minutes so he could write up a fast report on Harry's health.

"Here. If the attackers aren't expelled for this I'll personally request that the Board of Governor's take care of it." With that said Leighleas handed the scroll to Tom. "Hurry and get up to the headmaster's office. The password is Fibblewibbits."

With one last look at Harry, Tom took the scroll and then hurried out of the medical wing. His rage was boiling just beneath his focused exterior and it took all his strength not to let his magic lash out at the paintings and suits of armor around him.

How DARE those Gryffindor peons touch his Harry? He and his followers had made it perfectly clear that Harry was not to be touched and yet they had not only touched Harry, they had ATTACKED him.

Tom had to stop a moment as his black eyes flashed red and back. His rage was impossibly strong and without Harry's calming presence Tom was sure he would do something not helpful.

What would be helpful would be for Tom to find a way to kill the bastards.

That thought gave Tom pause and his mind began working out plans for just that. A chilling wicked smile stretched across Tom's lips and his eyes once again flashed red.

There had been a time when Tom's eyes had been blue, but the blood adoption ritual and growth in his power had changed his eyes to black. The people of Hogwarts had never noticed, and Harry had admitted he liked Tom's black eyes. Now though the red had replaced the black as Tom fought to keep his magic in check.

 _"Ophion."_ Tom hissed. _"Go down to the Chamber and tell Senestra I will be down as soon as I can get away."_ Instantly the garter snake was slithering away. Ladon had stayed behind with Harry to watch over him as the mediwizard worked.

Tom knew that Senestra would be willing to destroy the entire school after finding out that her 'precious little hatchling' had been attacked. She would obey any order he gave her, but knowing that she would happily fulfill his wishes made it all the better.

After the password was given Tom went straight up to the headmaster's office and found his Slytherin followers all standing to one side of the office glaring at the Gryffindors that had been caught.

"Headmaster." Tom's voice was ice as he went up to the headmaster. "Sir Leighleas sent this for you."

"Thank you Tom." Dippet sounded exhausted and there were bags under his eyes. He had no choice in his decisions. There were witnesses, both student and staff, of the attack. The Gryffindor students that had beaten Harry had all been captured, with petrification spells and body binding spells, by the Slytherins while they had been kicking and hitting little Hadrian with spells.

Dippet quickly read through the report, ignoring Dumbledore as he tried to explain that his students had made a grave mistake, but shouldn't be punished too harshly.

"The bullying was stopped before serious damage could be done." Dumbledore was saying with soft gentle words. "Expulsion seems overly harsh."

"I've made my decision." Dippet cut off Dumbledore as the man continued to argue on behalf of his students. "All Gryffindor students that were involved in the attack of Hadrian Malfoy," He made sure to empathize Hadrian's legal name. "Will be expelled. After extensive diagnostic examinations Sir Leighleas has concluded that Mr. Malfoy would have died if Tom Gaunt had not stepped in with his rudimentary medical knowledge."

Dumbledore didn't even get the chance to argue when Dippet held up a hand to stop him. "That is my decision Albus. These boys beat Mr. Malfoy within an inch of his life and were still attacking him even as Mr. Malfoy's fellow Slytherins stepped in to save him. It is obvious by the reports from all the Slytherin students that the Gryffindor students had been targeting Mr. Malfoy for quite some time and only today got the chance to attack."

Tom felt a fraction of satisfaction fill him. All the Gryffindor boys that had attacked Harry were 5th and 6th years; which meant their wands would be snapped.

"We didn't mean to take it that far!" One of the boys practically yelled. He was pale as a sheet and shaking. "Honest! We only meant to scare him a little! Jersey and Croop were the ones that kept hitting Malfoy!"

Dippet sat down in his seat heavily. "You all took part. Attacks on fellow students are prohibited in Hogwarts and regardless of who did what I will not tolerate such violence in my school."

"What about Mr. Hagrid?" Dumbledore's voice was heavy with regret. "He admitted to being forced to stand watch. He said he stepped aside as soon as the Slytherin students approached."

Tom looked over at the third year oaf that was standing behind his fellow Gryffindors. He was openly crying and Tom could tell he was extremely remorseful for what had happened. Despite that Tom could not feel any sympathy for the idiot.

"Forced or not, Mr. Hagrid was still involved." Professor Slughorn said quite loudly. "Granted he did rush to get both myself and Sir Leighleas as soon as my students got involved."

At least the oaf had done that much. Tom would never forgive him for endangering Harry though.

Dippet sighed heavily and he looked down at his steepled fingers.

"If I may make a suggestion?" Dumbledore offered as the headmaster took longer and longer to decide. "Seeing as how it was Mr. Malfoy that was attacked, why not let him decide Mr. Hagrid's fate?" Since he couldn't save his other students from expulsion he could at least try to stand up for Hagrid. If nothing else it would put the overly large third year in Dumbledore's debt.

That idea wasn't without merit and Dippet was considering it hard. He wouldn't allow the students that actually carried out the viscous attack get out of being expelled, but Rubeus Hagrid had gone to get help.

"For now Rubeus Hagrid will be suspended. When Hadrian Malfoy is strong enough we will offer him the option of deciding what will happen." Dippet decided after getting a hesitant nod from Professor Slughorn. "Misters Jersey, Croop, Bannisten, and Jones are hereby expelled. Members of the Board of Governor's will arrive in the morning to officiate the expulsions and then the boys will be sent home via the Hogwarts Express."

Which meant the boys would have to travel through the forbidden forest to an extent to get to the train station. Tom smirked internally as his plan for revenge solidified.

Yes. The idiot Gryffindors would be punished for what they had done.

* * *

Special Thanks to: Louise to, Maurey

A/N: I update every monday. Want info on updates and what I'm working on? Check out my tumblr: ethrildragon


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Do not own HP

A/N: Sorry about missing the updates for the last couple weeks. I made an announcement about it over on my tumblr (ethrildragon).

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 16: Broken

Tom felt a small degree of satisfaction over the results of Headmaster Dippet's decision. The dark part of him felt that expulsion was too light of a sentence.

Attempted murder was still a prison sentence for most adults.

Tom led the way down to the dorms once the Slytherin students were excused. The Gryffindors that were to be expelled were going to be escorted to their dorms to pack and then would be taken to separate lodgings for the night.

Professor Slughorn was saying something reassuring and comforting Tom was sure, but honestly the dark haired teen wasn't even listening. He simply nodded and kept his expression worried instead of dark and cold.

"I'm sure Hadrian will be alright. If you would like Tom, Abraxas, I can give you permission to stay in the hospital wing."

"That is very kind of you professor. Is it alright if I go down to the dorms to update Orion Black and Eileen Prince?" Tom put all his Slytherin manipulation into his words so that he would come across as a concerned and responsible upper class man.

Professor Slughorn nodded quickly. With a wave of his wand a he transfigured a piece of paper and wrote a note on it to excuse both Tom and Abraxas from the curfew.

"Just make sure you don't wander away from the hospital wing tonight." The professor told them with a fond smile. "Give Hadrian my best when he wakes up. I'll stop by before breakfast."

Once the professor was gone Tom led his group to the Slytherin common rooms. The few people that were there scattered when Tom sent them a cold sneer. Only Orion and Eileen stayed behind, watching Tom nervously.

"Harry will live. Sir Leighleas is taking care of him. Go to bed." He instructed the two first years, his voice sharp and firm so that they would not question him.

Finally Tom was alone with his followers.

"I have one question." Tom's eyes had completely turned red as he turned to face the group that were trying not to cower. The temperature in the common room literally dropped several degrees as Tom's magic flared around him in barely restrained waves. "How the HELL did those scumbag Gryffindor's get their hands on HARRY?"

Abraxas was probably the only one to have ever witnessed Tom in a true rage, and he could count on one hand how many times it had happened.

"We got separated while the crowd was leaving the stands." Alf Mulciber was the first to speak. He was afraid, but he knew if they didn't answer then Tom's rage would only grow.

"Tom." Abraxas spoke quietly as he attempted to calm his adopted brother. "The Gryffindors planned the attack. They knew Harry would be easy to separate from the group. We thought he would stay close to Orion, Eileen, and Rupert, but we were wrong."

Tom fumed for several long minutes. He so wanted to punish all of his Slytherin followers, but the gentle lull from Harry through his bond held him back. Harry would be upset if he found out Tom had lost control over his temper again.

Especially if Tom vented his rage on his fellow Slytherins.

So the enraged teen took one deep breath, and then another. Slowly his magic came back to him leaving the group before him visibly shaken.

The Slytherins had known Tom was powerful, but that display had revealed more power than any of them could have imagined. It had even brought a couple of the younger boys to their knees.

"From now on there will be someone with Harry at all times. I don't care if his friends are with him or if he complains. Until I know for sure the rest of the school knows Harry is off limits he is NOT to be left alone."

With one last scathing glare at his followers Tom motioned for Abraxas to follow after him.

Tom didn't turn to head for the stairs to head up towards the hospital wing. No. Instead he turned to go deeper into the dungeons to go to the hidden entrance to the chamber.

"Tom?"

Abraxas didn't get an answer, nor was he told to leave when he followed after his brother. He continued to stay silent even as Tom hissed at a wall and it slid back to reveal a dimly lit stairwell spiraling down into who knows where.

"I won't let them get away with what they did Abraxas." Tom's voice was low and filled with his still barely controlled rage. "They nearly killed him. If I had been a second later, if I hadn't known what little healing magic I did, he would have died."

"A-are you sure?" Abraxas felt his throat tighten and his mouth go dry. He had seen Harry, but he hadn't thought a bunch of students could be capable of beating another student to death.

Tom nodded grimly. "Sir Leighleas confirmed it."

At the revelation that Abraxas had almost lost his baby brother he felt his own anger grow stronger. His eyes hardened and he grimly followed after Tom.

"I'll write to father." Abraxas knew his father could have the to be expelled Gryffindor boys punished further for what they had almost done.

Tom shook his head though. "Write to father, but don't expect him to be able to do anything."

Before Abraxas could ask why, they entered a partially flooded chamber that was lit with torches that flickered with green flames. He heard Tom hiss something and then there was a loud grinding noise.

When the giant black snake slid out of the mouth of the statue that had just opened, Abraxas stumbled back. It didn't take a genius to connect the dots.

Giant snake + Tom speaking Parseltongue + hidden part of the school = Salazar Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets.

And Abraxas knew exactly what that giant snake was. "To-om." His words were soft as he stood frozen in place as the snake laid it's giant head at Tom's feet.

Tom ignored Abraxas for a moment to speak with the basilisk.

 _"Senestra. Can you leave the castle?"_ Tom had a plan, but he wanted to confirm a few things before he gave his orders.

 _"I can go wherever you tell me too so long as the castle is within sight. Ophion said hatchling was attacked. Where is hatchling?_ " Senestra asked quickly.

" _Can you enter the forest?"_

Senestra nodded quickly and asked again about Harry.

Tom didn't answer at first and it left the ancient basilisk fidgeting impatiently. Senestra had grown quite attached to the fearless human that would talk to her about anything and everything and rub at her scales for as long as she wanted.

 _"Harry was attacked by a group of Gryffindor students. They almost killed him. In the morning they will be expelled and taken through the forest to Hogsmeade station where they will board the train to return to London."_ Tom told Senestra slowly. " _We will go into the forest in the morning. I'll knock out any adults that will be with them. I want you to kill the Gryffindor students._ "

 _"May I eat them Master?_ "

Tom considered it for a moment. If Senestra ate the students then there would be no evidence. If done right Tom could even make it look like the expelled students had attacked the adults before running off.

 _"Not right away. Better yet don't attack them until I have a little...chat with them._ " Yes. Tom would take the time to ensure the Gryffindors knew just how badly they had messed up.

Abraxas knew Tom and the snake were planning something that had to do with Harry's attackers and he wanted in.

"Tom? What can I do?"

Tom looked away from Senestra to consider the blond teen. "I need you to cover for me in the morning. Senestra and I," Tom set a hand on the Basilisk's snout so Abraxas would know who he was talking about. "Are going to go and take care of the Gryffindors in the morning. We're going to make it look like they attacked their escorts, stole their wands, and ran off."

And in reality they would be dead; at least that's what Abraxas' vindictive side hoped.

"I'll do whatever you need me to do Tom. Just make sure they suffer for what they did."

All Abraxas got in response was a single nod from Tom before he went back to talking to his basilisk about what they were going to do.

As soon as everything was said and done, Tom led the way up through another passage with a hell of a lot more stairs than the one they had come down in. Abraxas shouldn't have been surprised when they came out close to the Hospital wing.

"So you're back." Sir Leighleas stated as he came out of a back room when Tom and Abraxas opened the door. He must have had an alarm or something set to go off if anyone entered the hospital wing. "Curfew is in an hour."

Tom instantly handed the note Professor Slughorn had given them and watched as the mediwizard read through it.

Leighleas took a deep breath and let it out with a huff. "Fine. But you are not to disturb Hadrian. I'll set up a couple cots."

The two teens glanced at each other and then went over to the cot that Harry was resting on. Three other cots were occupied with the quidditch players that had been injured earlier.

"He looks better." Abraxas mumbled as he glanced over Harry. Tom, Ophion, and Sir Leighleas had worked fast enough that there hadn't been a chance for bruising to really happen. The swelling was gone though and Harry looked like he was having an easier time breathing.

Tom hummed softly in agreement as he reached out to gently brush Harry's long bangs out of his face. His fingers skimmed over the lightening bolt scar on the younger boy's forehead.

Seeing as how there wasn't much the older boys could talk about, especially with the mediwizard hovering not so subtly nearby, both boys settled down into the cots that Leighleas had setup.

Tom was able to get a few hours of sleep before Ophion and Ladon woke him up to head down to the Chamber. Ophion would stay with Harry while Ladon would come with Tom and use his ability to track the boys as they were escorted away from Hogwarts.

As Tom stood and cast a few spells to keep himself hidden and make his cot appear like he was still there, Tom glanced at Harry worriedly. The boy was still sound asleep due to the potions and spells he was under.

 _"I'll take care of everything._ " Tom hissed softly as he brushed his fingers through Harry's bangs one last time before turning and leaving the Hospital Wing.

The trip back down to the Chamber was quick and soon he was riding Senestra through a tunnel that led out of the castle and into the forbidden forest. By the time he and Senestra had found a decent spot to wait for the group, the sun was rising over the horizon.

It wasn't hard to figure out where the group would be as they traveled to the Hogwarts Express. So Tom took the time to set up a few traps that would keep the group from escaping once he knocked out the adults that would be with the teens.

Soon enough the carriage that was transporting the expelled students and a couple adults was spotted.

 _"Two minutes."_ Ladon told Tom with a quick hiss as the snake kept track of just how far out the carriage was.

Ladon didn't need to tell Tom the moment the carriage had crossed his wards. Tom could sense it and instantly he sent out spells he'd learned from books in the Malfoy library. The ministry officials that were escorting the teens passed out and the carriage came to a stop.

"What's going on?" One of the boys asked as he reached out to shake the adults awake.

Jersey, Croop, Bannisten, and Jones. Those were the four teens that Tom was after.

"It's simple really." Tom stepped out from behind a large tree only to lean against it. "You four are making an escape attempt. A friend of yours, probably that oaf Hagrid, set up a sleeping trap that knocked out the ministry men there," Tom waved a hand at the two officials that were sound asleep. "You stole their wands and escaped into the forest."

Tom's black eyes were tinted red as he smirked coldly at the four teens. "At least that's what the ministry and headmaster will think. In reality you'll be eaten by a basilisk."

Senestra liked that idea, eating the four humans that had harmed her dear hatchling. She would kill them with her gaze and then swallow each of them whole. It would be a very good meal for her.

One of the teens, Tom hadn't deigned to learn which was which, moved to grab a wand off of one of the adults. Tom smirked as the other wand was grabbed as well. If a full investigation was done the MLE would find that the magical signatures of the boys had overlapped with the wands belonging to the ministry officials.

"You made a fatal mistake attacking my Harry." Tom's words were barely spoken in English as his smirk turned into a deep sneer. "I made it common knowledge that Harry and his friends were not to be touched, and yet you beat him within in inch of his life."

The longer he spoke the colder the air around the four teens got. One of them attempted to send a spell, probably a body binding spell, at Tom only for it to fail. The wards Tom had setup earlier were too powerful.

Slowly Tom started walking towards the carriage. "It's too bad I can't rip each of you limb from limb. I have to keep this clean so that the aurors don't find anything contradictory." That didn't mean Tom couldn't torture the boys.

"Crucio."

His wand was still in its holster as Tom cast the unforgivable curse. His pure rage and desire to see these boys dead for what they had done empowered him and his wandless magic.

"He's an eleven year old boy! What defense did he have against you?" Tom demanded. His voice was eerily calm as he lifted the torture curse from the four writhing teenagers. "None. The answer is he had none."

The four teens were panting and one had fallen out of the carriage. Tom glared at them, his eyes completely red.

"I wish we had more time, but if you don't arrive at the station within the next few minutes someone will come searching."

Tom cursed the boys once again. Their screams of pain were kept silent by the Tom's wards. It wasn't enough. It wasn't nearly enough. With a snap of his fingers Tom shattered the bones in the legs of each boy.

They were whimpering and one of them was begging for mercy.

"You think I'd show mercy to you? After what you did to Harry?"

Another snap of his fingers and each boy cried out as their arms were shattered.

He would have done more, but Tom knew he was running out of time. He couldn't leave them alive in case the aurors somehow were able to track them.

 _"Senestra."_

The look of pure terror on each of the boys faces as they watched the giant basilisk come out of the forest to slither close to them was so delicious for Tom.

 _"Breakfast time."_

Tom felt pleased as his basilisk snapped up each boy one at a time and proceeded to swallow them whole. Their screams didn't fade until they were deep within her stomach.

Taking a deep breath, Tom ran his hand through his hair for a moment. He reveled in the silence that had replaced the screams from the terrified teenagers. His revenge for what had happened to Harry had barely satisfied him, but knowing Harry would be safe was enough to calm his ire.

With a wave of his hands Tom broke the wards he'd placed. He grabbed the discarded wands of the adults and then turned to stalk back into the forest. Using wandless magic, Tom made sure any signs that he and Senestra had been there were wiped away.

Hopefully people would believe that the boys escaped and took the wands of the ministry officials with them.

By the time Tom made it back up to the Hospital Wing he was completely calm and his eyes had gone back to black.

"You made it back just in time." Abraxas told his brother when Tom slipped back to his cot. "Sir Leighleas just went by. I told him you would be back in a few minutes."

Tom smirked at that. he always seemed to have the best timing. "Has Harry woken up yet?"

Abraxas shook his head and sighed softly as he sat on the edge of the cot he'd been sleeping on. "Sir Leighleas wants to keep Harry asleep until at least tonight to make sure he's healed up enough so he won't feel any pain when he does wake up."

Tom appreciated the care the mediwizard was giving Harry. As much as he wanted to talk to Harry, the mediwizard was right that he needed to sleep.

"You boys can go to breakfast."

Leighleas had returned while Tom and Abraxas had been talking.

"I won't wake Hadrian up until later. You two still need to eat though." Leighleas pointed a finger at Tom and Abraxas. "You can come back after you eat."

It was a good thing it was Sunday, otherwise Tom would have been tempted to skip classes just to stay next to Harry. He was even willing to skip meals, but the look Leighleas was giving them told Tom there was a strong chance the mediwizard would magically kick them out.

Tom waited until he and Abraxas had left the Hospital wing before finally saying the one thing he knew his brother wanted to hear.

"It's taken care of."

Breakfast was quiet around the Slytherin table. No one wanted to attract Tom's attention, not with how he was glaring at his meal. Abraxas didn't look much better off.

"Hey."

Tom looked up sharply only for his gaze to soften a little when he saw Rupert standing next to the Slytherin table. Tom didn't blame the first year Gryffindor for what had happened; he didn't deserve Tom's ire.

"Will Harry be alright?" Rupert's voice was soft and there were dark circles under his eyes. "It's my fault they hurt him. I-I shouldn't have ignored them. They warned me if I kept being friends with Harry there would be repercussions."

Tom could see why the sorting hat had put Rupert in Gryffindor. He was brave enough to take blame for something that wasn't his fault. He was willing to sacrifice himself even when he didn't have to.

"Harry will be alright." Tom said soothingly. "It wasn't your fault Flint. No one should be forced to give up their friendships just because of some ridiculous house rivalry."

A few Slytherins, the ones that weren't a part of Tom's followers, looked at him in surprise and some even sneered. It was the truth though. A house rivalry was no reason to attack and hurt each other.

"Harry would be upset if you stopped being his friend."

Rupert nodded a little stiffly, but he didn't quite look convinced.

With a small sigh Tom shook his head. "Sir Leighleas is going to wake Harry up tonight. You should be there." It wasn't a request and Tom made sure Rupert understood that. "Having his friends around him will help Harry heal much faster."

Again Rupert nodded, but he looked a little better.

Tom spent the rest of the day speaking with his followers in the common room. He made the decision that in order to make the school completely safe for Harry, Tom would need to gain followers in each house.

So to pass the time until the evening when Leighleas woke Harry up, Tom worked on a plan with his inner circle.

"Who do we know, in the other houses, that have the same ideals as we do?" Tom asked from where he was seated before his followers. They were in the Room of Requirement, away from prying eyes and any ears that would want to listen in. "Or, better yet, who can we bring into the fold?"

It would be difficult to recruit from the other houses; houses that were predominantly Light.

Slowly names trickled in from his followers slowly. Most of the students suggested were from Ravenclaw with one or two from Hufflepuff. Most were from either pure-blood or half-blood families.

"Talk to them. Find out their stances on muggles." Tom instructed his followers once they had enough names to satisfy him. "Find out how they feel about dark magic."

The meeting ended after that with only Alf and Abraxas staying behind to speak with Tom.

"What are you planning Tom?" Abraxas asked with a weary sigh. He knew how his adopted brother felt about muggles, but Abraxas had always felt that not all muggles were bad just as not all wizards and witches were good.

Abraxas was the only one, besides Harry, that Tom ever allowed to question him. Alf was getting up there on his list of most trusted, but that list still remained especially short.

"Short term? To make the school completely safe for Harry. If I have followers in each of the houses then they'll be able to watch over Harry when we graduate in a couple years." Tom explained slowly. "Long term, I want to have enough power to change our world."

Tom wouldn't go on muggle killing sprees like Grindelwald, that wouldn't really make the changes he wanted, but he still wanted to create a way to protect muggle-born children and half-blood children from muggle fear and anger.

"We need to create a stronger separation between the muggle world and ours. The muggles have weapons that can devastate our world while we are forced to hide in the shadows." Tom could understand why Grindelwald wanted to leave the statute of secrecy; to rule over the muggles. But Tom knew, after growing up in the muggle world and knowing first hand what they could do, that the muggles would never allow themselves to become slaves to the magical world.

"The biggest danger to the Statute are the muggle-born children. They need to be removed from the muggle world as soon as they display magic."

"That means taking children away from their parents." Abraxas whispered, his voice breaking a little. He knew the story of his older sister and he knew how hard it would be on families to lose their children.

Tom nodded. "Muggles can be obliviated and their memories changed. It would be better for all magical children to grow up in our world; to grow up knowing why they are so special."

"What about half-bloods?" Alf asked steadily. He didn't know Tom's past, but he wasn't about to ask why Tom took this so seriously.

For a moment Tom had to think. "We're not like America. We won't deny people marrying who they want. But there need to be stronger protocols. If a witch or wizard wants to marry a muggle then the muggle must give up their life in the muggle world." At least that would help to prevent too much inbreeding.

Such a law would deter a great deal of people from pursuing lovers and partners outside the magical world.

"Let's go. Harry should be waking up soon." Tom said stiffly. It would take time to build the world he envisioned, but he would do it if it took the rest of his life.

Most of Tom's followers had wanted to visit Harry as soon as he'd woken up, but Tom had limited the group to just himself, Abraxas, Orion, Eileen, and Rupert. That way Sir Leighleas wouldn't complain too much.

Thankfully Leighleas had waited to remove the sleeping spells from Harry until Tom had returned. It took a few minutes for Harry to stir from the deep sleep he had been under.

"Tom?"

Harry's voice was weak and slurred from sleep, but he was able to sit up and look around. The pre-teen's movements were stiff and he had a hard time keeping his eyes open.

"I'm here." Tom sat down on the edge of Harry's bed and gently took one of his hands when Harry settled against the metal headboard of the cot.

"What happened?" Harry could vaguely remember being pulled out of the crowd he'd been walking in and then pain. So much pain. His mind attempted to supply memories, but as soon as they started it felt like they were slipping away from his mind.

Tom glanced at Sir Leighleas, who had his wand pointing at Harry. "It would be best if Hadrian's memories are returned slowly. I would rather he not hurt himself because of another panic attack."

Harry frowned up at the mediwizard and then at Tom. "What is he talking about?"

With a sigh Tom started to slowly explain what had happened. "Several Gryffindor students attacked you. We were able to stop them before-" He couldn't bring himself to say it. Just the thought of losing Harry scared Tom to death.

Slowly, Leighleas released Harry's memories. He stopped whenever he felt fear or panic well up within his charge.

It felt strange, having his memories slowly come back to him. He couldn't remember exactly how he was hit or hurt, but he could remember that it had hurt. He could remember falling to the ground to try and protect himself. Harry could remember Tom saving him.

With a sigh Leighleas lowered his wand and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. When he'd taken the job as the Hogwarts Mediwizard he had never expected to practice his mind healing as well.

"What happened to them?" Harry asked wearily. "The Gryffindor students?"

"They were expelled and sent home this morning." Abraxas supplied quickly. "Their wands were snapped."

The way Tom didn't quite meet his eyes told Harry an entirely different story. He couldn't ask though, not while the mediwizard was standing over them.

Leighleas waited to usher the students out until after each one got the chance to give Harry a hug and to tell him how glad they were that he was alright now.

"Can't Tom stay?" Harry asked with big light green eyes as the mediwizard attempted to send the other students down to dinner.

Leighleas breathed deeply through his nose to try and keep his patience. "Only Tom." He could deal with one non injured student at least. "I'll have dinner brought to you two." It would be just the two of them since Leighleas had sent the quidditch players back to their dorms after lunch.

The smile that Harry gave Leighleas made the man pause and a small smile crept its way across his own lips before he turned to walk away.

Once Leighleas was gone Harry turned back to Tom, his happy careful expression falling as he looked at his older friend seriously.

With a sigh Tom sent up a privacy spell, a silencing spell, and a couple others to make sure they wouldn't be overheard.

"What did you do to them?" Harry demanded quietly. "I know you Tom. I know you did something to the Gryffindors that hurt me."

"They deserve what they got." Tom sighed softly and reached out to brush Harry's bangs out of his face only for the smaller boy to slap his hand away. Tom frowned at him, but didn't reach out again.

"What did you do?" Harry's light green eyes burned into Tom as he frowned at the older teen. "Tell me. I'm not a little kid."

Tom sat back and carefully locked his emotions deep within his mind. "I had Senestra eat them."

Harry paled for a moment before looking down at his lap thoughtfully.

"Are you upset?"

For the length of time Harry was silent, Tom held his breath. Finally Harry shook his head slowly before shrugging.

"I know you wouldn't have killed them unless they'd done something horrible." Harry's words came out slowly, but he refused to look at Tom. "I...I remember I was in pain, but not how badly. It was bad...wasn't it?"

With Harry not looking at him Tom was forced to reply out loud. "You almost died. I couldn't let them get away with almost taking you from me." His hand reached out again only to be slapped away. Tom frowned deeply at Harry before ignoring the younger boy's hand to grab his Harry's chin to lift his face up.

"You mean everything to me Harry! I won't let anyone touch you ever again. I swear I'll protect you."

"You can't promise that!" Harry jerked out of Tom's hold and glared at him. "They were students! Like us! What's to stop another student from trying to hit me again?" Harry demanded, his light green eyes never leaving Tom's black gaze. "I understand why you killed them, but you shouldn't have done that. You should have let the adults deal with it."

Tom was at a loss for words. Harry had never spoken to him like that before and it left Tom confused and unable to form a reply.

There were tears in Harry's eyes. Tears and fear. Even though Leighleas had kept the full extent of the pain and the panic attack from Harry it was obvious the younger boy knew how badly he had been hurt.

"You can't protect me Tom." Harry insisted weakly. The fire that had flared up was dimming quickly as Harry's strength was sapped away. "You can't control the entire world."

Something was broken in Harry and Tom could see it. Harry had always looked to Tom for protection and support, but after what had happened Tom had failed him. It was like the curtain around Harry's innocence had been yanked away and now the boy knew that the one person he had always looked to for safety couldn't protect him all the time. He knew Tom didn't have the power to keep him safe.

Slowly, with careful movements, Tom climbed into the bed. He gently pulled Harry into his arms. Harry struggled for a moment before giving into the embrace.

Tom swore to himself he would make the world a safe place for Harry; even if Harry didn't believe he could do it.

* * *

Special thanks to: Louise to and Maurey

A/N: I'm back on schedule now. Expect chapter 17 next monday! If you want to see my random updates and anything else that might be happening in my life, check out my tumblr: ethrildragon


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own HP

A/N: AHAHAHAHAHAHA oh gosh people. I love your comments. Just an fyi? I've already written up to chapter 19. I know what's going to happen. I'm having a blast thinking "My poor summer child, you have no idea the world of hurt you're in for"

Check out my tumblr for future updates and more info: ethrildragon

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 17:

For almost a week Harry gave Tom the silent treatment. He hadn't cared much that the Gryffindor bullies had died, but he was upset that Tom had made such an important decision without talking to Harry. He wasn't a little kid anymore and could handle things like that.

So, much to Tom's displeasure, Harry ignored the older teen for the most part. He would answer questions with yes or no, but he didn't get involved with any of the conversations that Tom tried to start.

Harry didn't sit next to Tom like he normally did, instead he sat between Orion and Eileen. All of Slytherin knew that something was going on between Harry and Tom.

The younger boy could only keep it up for a week before he caved in and went back to normal. He missed Tom too much to keep the two of them separated for any real length of time.

He also knew he couldn't really blame Tom for not talking to him about getting revenge on the Gryffindors. Harry had been asleep and Tom had been short on time to do anything. It did make Harry wonder though; would he have agreed to killing the Gryffindors?

There was nothing he could do about it now, but what would he have done had he been awake? Would he have told Tom to go through with his plan? Harry had never really liked it whenever Tom had lost his temper at the orphanage, but he'd never really been against a little revenge for everything he and Tom had been put through.

The other problem Harry kept coming across was that he and his friends were almost always being escorted by an older Slytherin. He hadn't really noticed before he'd gotten hurt, but afterwards it was like he couldn't stop seeing one of Tom's followers nearby.

It was a nice gesture, seeing them care enough to actually keep an eye on him, but he wasn't a baby that needed watching.

At one point Harry lost his patience and he started to actively try to slip away from his watchers.

The only place they couldn't follow him was the Chamber, and Harry utilized that fact quickly.

 _"It is good to see you fully healed, hatchling_." Senestra cooed when Harry made his way down to the Chamber to escape Alf.

Harry grumbled and climbed up onto Senestra's neck to lounge over her head. It felt nice to lay there against her cool scales in the silence of the chamber.

Senestra waited patiently for Harry to speak. She could taste his anxiety in the air.

" _Tom is being impossible."_ Harry finally mumbled after a few minutes of running a hand along Senestra's scales. " _I told him I don't want his people following me around, but he won't listen."_

 _"Master is just worried about you._ " Senestra soothingly told the small boy on her head. " _You are strong, but you are young. Talk to him_."

There was nothing Harry could say to argue with the basilisk. Compared to her, he really was really young.

"Harry!"

In retrospect Harry should have expected Tom to come looking for him once he'd vanished from the sights of his watchers.

"Hi Tom."

Tom sighed angrily as he glared up at the boy that was resting on top of Senestra. "Do you know how worried I was when Alf told me you'd vanished?" He demanded slowly. "If it weren't for the fact you lost him near the girl's bathroom I would have suspected another attack."

Harry wanted to be upset with his older friend, but he couldn't. Tom looked frantic and his eyes were rimmed with red. Harry really must have scared him.

"I hate being followed around Tom." The younger boy decided to take the basilisk's advice and actually talk to Tom. It helped that he was still perched on top of Senestra and had the high ground. "I feel like a prisoner. I feel like you don't trust me."

"It's just to make sure you aren't hurt again."

With a huff Harry slid down from Senestra's back. "There are other ways to protect me! You're smart! Figure out another way." He glared up at Tom in challenge.

If Harry had been anyone else, Tom would have put the boy under the cruciatus curse. "Fine." The word tasted like ash on Tom's tongue. "But until I find another way to protect you, you are to put up with having guards."

It was a compromise Harry could live with; so long as Tom didn't take too long finding an alternative method.

"Now come on. Let's head up for dinner." Tom held out a hand to Harry and after a minute the younger boy took the offered hand, much to Tom's relief. He hated when Harry was upset with him, but Tom wasn't going to back down about protecting him.

Both Harry and Tom were so used to the bathroom being empty whenever they were there that the sound of someone sobbing in one of the stalls had both boys stopping in shock once the entrance was open.

Harry, eternally curious and always seeming to forget to think first, let go of Tom's hand and hurried over to the stall where the sobs were coming from.

"Hello?" He knocked on the stall while Tom quickly closed the entrance to the chamber.

"W-Who's there?"

The voice definitely belonged to a girl and Tom almost rolled his eyes when Harry frowned. Had the younger boy forgotten that the primary entrance to the chamber just so happened to be inside a girl's bathroom?

"Hadrian Malfoy. I heard you crying and I was worried."

There was a shuffling sound before the stall door was finally opened. A short girl with muddy brown pigtails and large glasses hiding her red puffy eyes came out to glare at Harry.

"This is the girl's bathroom! You aren't supposed to be in here!"

The blue in her robe was an easy indicator that the girl happened to be from the Ravenclaw house. Despite the glare on her face she didn't look at all intimidating or particular upset that a couple boys had 'followed' her into the bathroom.

"I'm sorry. I was just worried when I heard you crying." Harry repeated as he took a step back so the girl wouldn't be crowding him. "Are you alright miss?"

"Warren. Myrtle Warren." She sniffled for a moment and quickly wiped her eyes before adjusting her glasses. "Not that you really care. You're just a couple of Slytherins. Probably just here to make fun of me too."

Harry reeled back as if he had been slapped. "I'm not going to make fun of you Myrtle!" He told her quickly before looking to Tom for help.

Tom was all for leaving the annoying rude girl to her misery, but Harry had always been too much of a bleeding heart. It made sense in a way; Harry had always felt kindness towards those that were abused, bullied, or neglected.

"He's right." Tom huffed as the girl just sniffled again and glared at him. "We're not here to bully you."

The plan Tom had made with his group came to mind and his demeanor melted away a little. By being nice to this Ravenclaw he might be able to get a foothold into the house.

"Let's go find someplace nice to talk." Harry suggested as he held out a hand for Myrtle to take. "Then maybe we can get dinner together."

"You're the boy with the Gryffindor friend." Recognition finally dawned on Myrtle as Harry smiled at her. That fact more than anything else was what convinced Myrtle to trust the younger Slytherin.

Harry nodded and smiled warmly when Myrtle finally took his hand. "Do we have time to talk before dinner?" He asked Tom as he tugged at Myrtle to get her to walk with them.

Tom shook his head. "Not really, but Miss Warren can eat dinner at the Slytherin table tonight." It wasn't that big of a deal; Rupert had been eating dinner at the Slytherin table for the last week so one more non Slytherin wouldn't matter.

The trio arrived at the great hall soon after that. Whispers and chatter filled the three non Slytherin tables as Tom and Harry escorted Myrtle over to their own house table.

"Tom." Lestrange leaned over to whisper to Tom as Harry settled Myrtle next to him so he could introduce her to his friends. "Why is a muggle born sitting with us?" He kept his voice low so Tom would be the only one to hear him.

Tom breathed through his noise slowly and almost rolled his eyes at Sebastian's impertinence. "I will explain later." And he would. Harry may have only had innocent reasons for befriending the Ravenclaw girl, but Tom didn't.

That seemed to satisfy Lestrange for the moment as well as several others when Lestrange whispered to them.

Rupert was more than willing to get to know Myrtle while Orion and Eileen seemed to hesitate. Harry kept the conversation up among the first years all through dinner while Tom just watched from the corner of his eye.

"Abraxas. Watch after Harry. He wants to talk to Myrtle after dinner." Tom instructed his adopted brother. He needed to talk to his followers to make sure they understand the new changes to his plan.

Abraxas snorted softly. "He won't like that."

Tom only glared at the blond until Abraxas looked away with a small chuckle and shake of his head. Harry wouldn't like it, but he had agreed to having a guard; at least until Tom found a better way.

After dinner ended Abraxas moved to follow after Harry as he and Myrtle left the table. He got a single glare from his younger brother, but otherwise Harry didn't argue with the escort.

The trio found an empty classroom and Abraxas made a couple of the chairs more comfortable.

"Who was bullying you Myrtle?" Harry asked once they were settled. "They shouldn't get away with that."

Myrtle looked at Abraxas hesitantly, but after a few minutes of him just pretending to ignore the younger kids she finally answered. "Olive Hornby. She says I don't belong here just because my parents are muggles."

Abraxas should have known that that was the reason the girl was getting bullied. With Grindelwald gaining power a great deal of pure-blood families were beginning to side with his ideals that there is no place in their world for muggle borns.

"She smashed my glasses and I fixed them when I ran away."

Harry smiled warmly. "Wow! You fixed your glasses on your own? That's really cool."

The Ravenclaw girl blushed at the compliment. "It's not that hard. I read about the spell before I even came here." She always finished reading her school books as soon as she got her hands on them. She was a second year and she'd learned the repair spell back in her first year.

"Could you teach me that spell?" Harry asked as he ignored the look of surprise from Abraxas. He technically already knew the spell, but no one besides Tom and Abraxas knew Harry was advanced.

Myrtle blushed a bit and nodded. "If you want. It's really useful! I just wish I could use it back home during the summer."

The way the girl flinched and looked away from Harry had the boy's instincts flaring up. He knew that look. It was the one he would often have after his relatives had been particularly abusive to him.

"Myrtle," Harry reached out and took the girl's hand. "My aunt and uncle hit me a lot when I was little. Before I was adopted by the Malfoy's."

Abraxas looked at his younger brother in shock. He knew about the abuse, but Harry usually kept it to himself.

For a moment silence settled between the three people. A small sob broke through the silence and Myrtle seemed to fold in on herself. Her small sobs grew until she was crying so hard her shoulders shook. Harry quickly wrapped his arms around the girl's shoulders and held her as she cried.

"Someone hits you when you're not at school." Harry's words were more fact that question. He glanced up at Abraxas to make sure he was listening.

The girl shaking in Harry's arms nodded weakly.

That was all the confirmation that Abraxas needed. He knew abuse happened with children growing up in non magical families, both Tom and Harry were proof of that, but having another child confirm it? It made him sick.

"Is it alright if we tell our parents?" Harry asked once Myrtle was calm enough to speak again. "They'll help you. They helped me."

There was fear in Myrtle's eyes and it took several soft comforting words from Harry before she was finally able to nod.

"I need to know who it is that hurts you." Abraxas knelt down in front of the Ravenclaw girl so he wouldn't be hovering over her.

"D-Do I have to tell you?" Myrtle asked as she knotted her fingers together.

The blond teen smiled gently at the frightened girl. "You don't have to tell me, but it would help my parents to know. I want to protect you."

Myrtle still felt hesitant to trust the two Slytherins. According to her house, as well as other students, Slytherins were all liars and cold. But Harry had been the first person in almost two years to show her genuine warmth.

"My dad." Her voice was small and she would have curled up again if it weren't for the first year's arms around her shoulders. "He hates it when I do magic. I can't read my books unless it's at night when he's asleep. He locked my wand up last summer." There were other things, things that made her shake in fear. "He t-tried to have me e-exorcised when I got m-my first year letter."

The details were enough to send a chill down Harry's spine and make Abraxas restrain himself from lashing out at the classroom.

Muggles didn't deserve their magical children. Magic was a gift and any child with magic had more worth than a thousand muggles.

"You're safe now." Harry whispered comfortingly. "We'll protect you." He would make sure Myrtle was added to the list of his friends that were not to be touched or bullied along with Rupert.

"That's right Myrtle." Abraxas pulled out his handkerchief and gently wiped away her tears under her glasses. "We'll protect you from now on."

Both Harry and Abraxas escorted Myrtle back to the Ravenclaw dorm entrance once she was calmed down. They told her to ignore Olive for now and that they'd take care of letting people know tomorrow that Myrtle was not to be bullied anymore.

"Head to bed Harry." Abraxas nudged at his younger brother to get the young boy moving towards his dorms once they made it back to the Slytherin common room. "You did a good thing today. Mother and Father will be proud." He reached up and ruffled the younger boy's messy black hair for a moment which made put a goofy smile on Harry's lips.

Thankfully Harry didn't argue and Abraxas was left alone in the common room. A quick glance around told Abraxas that Tom was still in the Room of Requirement with his followers for a meeting. He debated between waiting up for Tom or going to the meeting.

Abraxas didn't have to wait much longer or make a decision as the entrance to the common room opened and the Tom's Slytherin followers filtered into the room.

"Hey Tom." Abraxas ignored most of the other students, his attention on his adopted brother as he arrived. "We need to talk."

"Harry?"

Of course Tom's thoughts would go straight to Harry. "He's fine. Found something out you should know." Abraxas stopped talking and glared at the Slytherin students that milled around in the common room until they sighed and left for their dorms.

"Well?" Tom took his customary seat in front of the fire place with a sigh. It had taken a lot of work to convince his followers of his plan for Myrtle and the other students from other houses. Most of his followers had taken to the idea quickly, but a few had been ridiculously resistant.

"Myrtle Warren is a muggle born child that is abused by her muggle father." Abraxas explained quickly after one last glance around to make sure no one was listening. "Harry has offered her protection and I've agreed to send a message to our parents about the situation."

Tom nodded understandingly. It made sense that Harry would offer protection to someone that was getting abused. He had a gentle heart and was always wanting to protect everyone. If the boy hadn't been placed into Slytherin he would have made a strong Gryffindor.

"I was thinking." Tom started to say once Abraxas took a seat in the chair across from him. "Grindelwald is right that the magical world is superior to the muggle world, but he is wrong about lifting the statute of secrecy."

It was the most heavily debated argument among the Slytherin students and Tom often considered it when making his own plans.

"What is the greatest danger to the statute?" Tom asked his adopted brother as he rested his cheek against one hand.

"Muggle born children." The answer came easily to Abraxas; his father was almost always talking about how muggle born children were a danger to the statute with their accidental magic.

"What children are statistically more likely to be abused?"

Abraxas' eyes narrowed slightly as he started to put together what Tom was trying to say. "Muggle born children."

"So wouldn't it make sense to remove muggle born children from their muggle families?" Tom asked conversationally. "Muggles don't deserve the gift of their magical children." The Malfoy's had taught him that magic was a gift, that if someone had magic it was for a reason.

"I was thinking about something else." Tom shifted a bit to make himself more comfortable. "Most pure-bloods and many half-bloods don't have a problem with dark magic or the ancient traditions. So who is it that perpetuates the belief that dark magic is evil?" For the last 5 years Tom had done extensive research into 'dark' and 'light' magic as part of his research into time magic.

"Muggle born witches and wizards bring muggle traditions and beliefs with them when they come to Hogwarts for the first time. When they hear 'dark magic' they think it's really 'black magic'. No one educates them that those two are very different." Even elemental magic was considered 'dark', but that didn't make it evil.

"I believe," Tom sat up and leaned forward so Abraxas would understand just how serious he was about this. "That our culture is slowly being poisoned by muggle beliefs. The best way to stop this is to just remove all magic from the muggle world."

"And that'll keep muggle born children from being abused by their families." Abraxas could see where Tom was taking this. "If we could find more muggle born children that are abused by their families father would be able to push a law through the Wizengamot. It'd be a good first step towards complete separation."

Tom nodded, glad that his adopted brother understood where he had been going with his plans. The plan would also pave the way for Tom's political career and eventual control of the ministry.

The two stayed up for another hour talking and writing out a letter to their father before Abraxas retired for the evening. He would mail the letter in the morning before breakfast.

Tom on the other hand quietly slipped from the Slytherin common room and towards the Chamber entrance that wasn't too far. The sooner he found a better way to protect Harry, the sooner the younger boy would stop being angry with him.

The Hogwarts library could only help him to a certain degree, but Salazar's personal study and library had more resources that Tom was more than willing to make use of.

A few days later news came from the Mr. Malfoy to his eldest sons.

The message was quick and to the point: a full investigation would be conducted for all muggle born children to discover whether or not more children were being abused by their families. It'd been easy enough to convince the ministry to agree to the investigation after Mr. Malfoy told them about Tom, Harry, and Myrtle.

Tom read through the letter and handed it back to Abraxas. He was about to say something when Headmaster Dippet stood up after breakfast was nearly over and waved for the students attention.

"During the next couple weeks ministry officials will be arriving to conduct interviews with several students."

Both Tom and Abraxas fought to keep their smirks contained as Dippet explained what was going to happen. He didn't explain why the interviews would be happening, just that they would be conducted.

As Dippet assured the students that this was nothing bad, Tom's eyes drifted over to a specific blue eyed professor and was surprised to see he was barely containing his anger.

"Look at Dumbledore." Tom whispered to Abraxas. "You see it too?"

His adopted brother nodded a tiny bit. Sure enough he agreed that Dumbledore looked ready to kill someone. The question was why?

For the most part Tom avoided the transfiguration professor as much as possible. The few interactions Tom had with Dumbledore outside of class were always awkward and he'd only ever met the professor outside of the school twice.

The first time being when Tom had gotten his letter for his first year and the second being when Dumbledore had tracked down Harry to give him his letter.

When Dumbledore had found out that Harry had been adopted by the Malfoy's the older man had been surprised to say the least. He had insisted on speaking with Harry in private, but Mr. Malfoy had denied the old professor.

Tom knew Dumbledore was manipulative and dangerous. The only reason the man could have for being angry about the ministry investigating possible reports of abuse was that the investigation would ruin any plans he had.

Dippet hadn't stated which students would be interviewed, but Tom and Abraxas knew it would be primarily the muggle born children and those raised by muggles.

"He is losing control of the muggle born children." Tom whispered to Abraxas.

It was the only thing that made sense. Dumbledore was controlling when it came to the students that were being raised by muggles. He was the first person to introduce the muggle born children to the world of magic and he made it a point of befriending all of the muggle born students.

Tom had even caught Dumbledore trying to approach Harry on a few occasions, but had stopped because of the older Slytherins that often stayed close to Harry.

A wicked smirk flashed across Tom's face before he was able to compose his features again. The old man had just revealed his hand and Tom hadn't even been trying to disrupt his plans.

"Wonder what brought all this on." Eileen asked curiously as breakfast came to an end and the students started making their way out of the hall to get to their classes.

Harry, who hadn't seen the letter his adopted father had sent Tom and Abraxas, could only shrug. What he wanted to know was who were the students that were going to be interviewed. Dippet hadn't seemed happy about the situation, in fact he had looked worried when he'd made the announcement.

"Maybe it has something to do with the expelled Gryffindor students?" Orion suggested as he walked beside Harry. Eileen sent a glare past Harry at Orion to try and get him to shut up, but Orion ignored her.

If Orion was right then Harry would probably be interviewed; which he was not looking forward to at all.

"Whatever the case may be," Eileen sent one more glare to Orion to show her disapproval. "We won't know until the ministry officials get here. Let's just focus on our lessons."

As much as Eileen wanted to avoid the entire interview discussion, it was difficult since it seemed like the only thing the rest of the school wanted to talk about. By the time lunch rolled around Harry was a bundle of nerves, had messed up his potions assignment only for Eileen to fix it last minute, and both Eileen and Orion had snapped several times at several other first years.

"You know what we need?" Orion was just as upset as Eileen, but mostly because Harry had emotionally pulled away. "A party. Something to take our minds off of school for a while."

"And how are we supposed to have a party?" Eileen demanded. "And where? If it's in the Slytherin common room then Rupert and Myrtle can't come. If it's after curfew we could all get into trouble."

Orion sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes. "Oh come on Prince! You're a Slytherin. Figure something out."

"Why do I have to do it? It's your idea!"

Watching and listening to Orion and Eileen bicker back and forth made Harry smile and his cheeks heat up a little in a light blush. It was a good distraction from the topic the rest of the school had been so focused on.

Harry didn't at first realize he was being watched until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Tom had been watching the trio of first years as they'd made their way through the hall towards lunch. Mulciber was the one following after Harry at the moment and he quickly made himself scarce when Tom motioned that he would take over.

For awhile Tom was content to just follow and watch the trio, but then he noticed something off about Harry that left Tom feeling...irritated.

Harry was blushing.

There were only so many reasons a pre-teen boy would blush. Tom doubted Harry was ill or had a fever, nor did he look like he was embarrassed or upset. In fact Harry was smiling fondly at his bickering friends.

With a quiet huff and a silent growl, Tom reached out before thinking and quickly latched onto Harry's shoulder.

"Everything alright?" Tom asked with a fond smile when he had Harry's attention away from his two friends. A tingle spread across Tom's skin starting where his hand was clasped onto Harry's shoulder.

The younger boy was still blushing when he looked up at Tom. Tom enjoyed the fluttering feeling in his chest as he returned Harry's smile.

"Orion and Eileen are trying to plan a party." Harry told his oldest and dearest friend. "Orion's egging Eileen into planning the entire thing." He added in a whisper so neither Eileen or Orion would hear him.

"A party huh?" Tom knew how much Harry enjoyed spending time with his friends. Since school had started Harry hadn't gotten to be with the students in the other houses nearly as much as he would have liked.

"Do you," Harry licked his lips for a moment making Tom watch the movement unconsciously. "Do you think we could use the Room?"

Tom and Abraxas had both told Harry not to tell anyone about the Room of Requirement. Tom's followers only knew about it because Tom held his meetings there. It was invaluable resource that Tom didn't want to let just anyone know about.

"Why don't you ask Professor Slughorn for advice?" Tom suggested with the warm smile he only ever gave Harry. "He likes to throw parties and I'm sure he'd be more than happy to help out three of his favorite first years."

"That's a great idea Tom!" Eileen piped up when the idea was offered up. "It's better then the idiotic ideas Black had."

"What's wrong with having a party by the lake?" Orion asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Besides the problem with getting food and supplies to and from the school in a timely manner?" Once again Eileen and Orion were arguing and Harry couldn't help but chuckle.

The small laughter was music to Tom's ears; even if it wasn't directed at him like he would have liked.

* * *

Special thanks to: Louise to, Maurey

A/N: See you guys next monday!


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Do not own HP. Sadly.

A/N: Hey guys! I'm going to start doing Live streams again starting December 17th! 1-2 streams a week over on Picarto. You'll get to watch me flail around while trying to write chapters for RTT and other stories, give me prompts for short stories/snippets, and keep me focused on writing by yelling at me! Fun! For more info check out my tumblr: ethrildragon

Reminder: This story updates on Mondays

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 18: Of Plans and Parties

After Tom had made the suggestion of going to Professor Slughorn, Eileen had insisted they do so before dinner.

Harry had been right in believing Orion had been teasing Eileen into planning the entire thing. With the Prince girl firmly latched onto planning the party it would definitely happen.

Making sure that Eileen was in charge of the planning didn't get either Harry or Orion out of helping her. Which meant the trio making their way up to Slughorn's office after their last class and before dinner in order to talk to him about the party planning.

"Come in, come in!" The professor's voice called out after Eileen knocked sharply against the door.

With Orion and Harry trailing after Eileen, the girl opened the door and the three entered the office. Professor Slughorn was sitting in a very plush wing back chair with a book in his hands.

"Ah! To what do I owe this pleasure?" Slughorn asked as he snapped his book shut and smiled at the trio of Slytherin first years.

Using all the charm she had as well as all of her etiquette training, Eileen smiled sweetly and folded her hands together in front of herself.

"I hope we aren't disturbing you Professor." Eileen kept on smiling even as her cheeks started to hurt. "We were hoping to ask for your help with something."

Slughorn already knew what the trio wanted; Tom had already spoken to him shortly before the trio had arrived. He rather liked the idea of hosting a party for the first years. A party was something he normally did, but usually he only invited older students and those that were at the top of their classes.

"How can I help you three today?" Slughorn asked as he offered Eileen, Orion, and Harry seats on his couch.

"Well professor," Once seated, Eileen settled her hands in her lap and made herself look as poised as possible. "We were wondering if you could help us throw a party. You see many of our friends from before school started were sorted into different houses." She explained as both Orion and Harry nodded.

"We never get the chance to just hang out with them." Orion butted in, ignoring Eileens scathing glance. "And with all the tension around school we thought a party might be just what we need."

Slughorn pretended to think about the suggestion for a few minutes as he sipped at his tea. "Did you have any idea when you wanted to through your party?" He asked the three first years before him. "Or if there would be a theme?"

"A Samhain party would be nice." Harry added when Eileen and Orion looked at each other to come up with an answer to Slughorn's question. "I know we wouldn't really be able to do a full Samhain celebration, but a little party would be nice."

His Malfoy parents had told Harry how holiday celebrations had adopted a more muggle feel and it had upset the young pre-teen a bit. He'd grown to enjoy the ancient traditions and he definitely believed in the ancient beliefs a lot more than Tom did.

"A Samhain party!" Slughorn clapped his hands happily at the suggestion. "I was going to host one for the older students, but if you three want to host one for the first and second years in conjuncture that would work out fine!"

The three younger students planned with their head of house for a few more minutes before he shooed them out the door and off to dinner.

Just before Harry left though Professor Slughorn stopped him.

"How are you doing Hadrian?" The professor asked gently, his eyebrows pinched together in concern.

Harry didn't know how to respond at first. Physically he was fine, he'd healed up perfectly after everything that had happened, emotionally though? He couldn't say for sure how he was feeling.

"I'm alright professor." It was the best response Harry could settle on. It wasn't like he could ask for professor Slughorn's opinion on how to work things out with Tom. He liked Slughorn, but he wasn't close to the man.

Professor Slughorn smiled and nodded. "If you ever need anything Hadrian, my office is always open."

After one last nod and forced smile, Harry left his professor to catch up with his friends; who were waiting a few feet down the hall from the door. Orion and Eileen were chatting together, but quickly included Harry as soon as he was with them again.

"This is going to be epic!" Orion proclaimed as they hurried down the hall. "A bonfire would have been nice though." He sighed wistfully as they entered the hall.

"And where would we have the bonfire?" Eileen demanded as the three of them took their seats. "The party is going to be indoors and we won't have time to take the party outside for a bonfire before curfew." Not to mention curfew was at 10pm and the magic used in the bonfire wasn't normally used until midnight.

"At least Professor Slughorn is letting us use a fireplace to burn tributes to the spirits." Harry offered up.

"A fireplace is nowhere near as cool as a bonfire though!" Orion groaned and pouted rather dramatically.

"It's not as romantic either."

Harry looked over to find Alf coming up to sit down next to their trio. It made sense that the older teen was there since Harry didn't see Tom or Abraxas yet.

Orion snorted a bit at Alf's tidbit to the conversation. "Romance has nothing to do with it."

"You'll change your tune when you're older." Alf laughed a bit and grinned at Harry, who promptly blushed a bit and returned his smile a bit timidly. "So what are you three talking about anyway?"

"Professor Slughorn gave us permission to have a Samhain party for first and second years." Eileen piped up politely. More students were filtering into the great hall for dinner and a few of the closer students seemed to lean in a bit to hear more about the party.

"I still say we could have thrown the party in the courtyard." Orion mumbled irritably.

Eileen rolled her eyes. She and Professor Slughorn had already told Orion several times that an outdoor party at the end of October, in Northern Scotland, wouldn't be appropriate at all, if nothing else because the weather was typically wet and cold.

Instead they'd been given permission to have the party in one of the larger rooms in the dungeon. The one Slughorn had suggested was dry, had a large fireplace, and had enough room for several tables and even an area for dancing if they wanted it.

Harry joined in with the conversation as dinner started and the rest of the students arrived to the hall. He tapered off though when he realized neither Tom nor Abraxas arrived when dinner was in full swing. Harry became even more worried when dinner was half way done and still his two older brothers had yet to arrive.

"Tom's busy with prefect business and I believe Abraxas had to run to the owlery." Alf was good at noticing subtleties that people gave away and it hadn't be hard to figure out what, or specifically who, Harry was looking for.

Half the time Harry never thought about the fact that Tom was a fifth year prefect. He never really talked about it and he only ever wore his badge when he was off on his patrols or doing official prefect business.

"Sorry I'm late." Abraxas looked out of breath as he hurried over to the Slytherin table with long strides. "Had to send a message to mother and father." He smiled pleasantly before nudging at Alf's shoulder to make him scoot over so he could sit next to Harry instead.

"You should probably send a letter to mother soon, Harry." Abraxas said as he filled his plate. "You did promise to write often."

With a guilty grin Harry nodded. "I'll write a letter tonight and send it off tomorrow."

To be honest Harry had been writing his adopted parents every other day, but for the last week or so he'd been to distracted to remember.

After the attack had happened his mother had threatened to come to the school to check on him, but Harry, with the help of his brothers, had convinced her not to make the trip.

He just had to make sure to write her often otherwise she'd make the threat again.

Abraxas nodded in approval before he started eating. He'd missed half of dinner and wanted to make sure he at least got something to eat.

With dinner moving right along, Harry grew more and more worried. Even if Tom really was doing his Prefect duties, he shouldn't have been missing dinner.

So, when dinner came to an end, Harry made sure to grab a few things that he could carry with him back to the dorms to give to Tom later.

Once back in the Slytherin common rooms the trio took seats in front of the fireplace to work on the party plans. After about an hour though Eileen excused herself to go get ready for bed.

"It's going to be a pain to get anything fun into the party." Orion groaned as he spread out on on the couch. "Eileen is too prim and proper for her own good."

Harry chuckled softly at Orion's display. "You're crowding." He pointed out as he lifted Orion's arm from where it had settled behind Harry and dropped it in Orion's lap. "You're a Black, shouldn't you be 'prim and proper' as well?"

If Orion had been a little bit less polite he might have made a rude sound. "I'll leave that to my cousins and sister." His sister was definitely persnickety about being proper. "Let me enjoy my youth for as long as I can."

By the time Tom finally returned to the Slytherin common room both boys had dozed off on the couch.

What Tom had been expecting to find and what he did find were two very different things. Harry was slumped over and was leaning into Orion's side while Orion had his arm slung around the smaller boy's shoulders.

Something dark inside of Tom reared up and for a moment he saw red as he stared at the innocently intimate scene. The impulse to grab Harry and spirit him away from Orion was strong and Tom had to stop himself from doing just that.

"Tom?"

The dark cloud that had settled over Tom's thoughts cleared when he heard Harry's voice. The boy was rubbing at his eyes and was sitting up and away from Orion.

"Where were you?" Harry asked around a yawn. Orion was still lightly snoring next to him, but Harry's focus was on his oldest friend. "I saved you some dinner."

Thanks to the warming charm that Tom and Abraxas had taught Harry a couple years ago, the food that Harry had snagged at dinner was still warm where it was sitting on the table next to the couch.

"On patrol. Then I went down to the library for some research."

The way Tom had phrased it told Harry that the older teen did not mean the school library. With Orion asleep next to him and who knew how many other students around, Harry couldn't exactly ask Tom for clarification.

Tom seemed stiff though as he spoke and took the food Harry had saved for him. Harry wondered if maybe it was the tension between him and Tom was his fault. Since the attack things hadn't really gone back to the way they had been. Between Tom getting extra protective, Harry railing against Tom's protection, and Harry out right telling Tom he couldn't protect him from everything, a lot had happened to strain their friendship.

Harry wasn't very subtle with his quick glances at Tom and his fidgeting. With a quick huff Tom took a seat instead of taking the food with him to his room.

 _"C'mere."_ Tom hissed gently to Harry. The younger boy perked up and quickly abandoned Orion in favor of going to sit next to Tom. It was time the two of them had a talk; it seemed both boys were tired of the tension that had formed.

With a small flick of Tom's wrist he cast a notice me not spell around the two of them.

For a lot while the two just sat there, Harry leaning against Tom and Tom nibbling at his food.

 _"Can you teach me how to duel?"_ Harry asked suddenly which caused Tom to choke on his food in surprise.

 _"What?"_. Tom asked once he was able to breath again.

Harry fidgeted with his fingers. _"You won't always be there to protect me. I know you want to keep me safe, but after what happened..."_ It took Harry a moment before he was able to speak again. _"After what happened I realized you won't always be there_." He looked up at Tom then, his light green eyes wide and serious. _"But if you teach me to duel I'll be strong enough to protect myself and others!_ "

To be honest Abraxas and Tom had discussed teaching Harry how to duel after what had happened. No matter what security measures they took something outside of their control was bound to happen. Tom didn't like it though. It was like admitting to himself that he wasn't as strong as he thought he was.

If he couldn't protect Harry then what good was he?

 _"We made a deal. I'd find a way to protect you. Isn't that enough?_ " Tom asked without looking at the younger pre-teen.

With a huff Harry got up and stood in front of Tom so that the older teen wasn't able to look away from him. _"It won't be and you know it._ " His hands were pressed against his hips and he was glaring a little at Tom. _"Teach me how to duel. You can still protect me, but this way I can protect you and all our friends!"_

Tom's gaze drifted over to the still sleeping Orion and for a moment Tom felt his jealousy surface again.

On one hand training Harry would give him independence from Tom. On the other hand training him would mean spending more time with Harry and putting himself back into the younger boy's good graces.

" _If I train you,"_ Tom said slowly as he brought his dark eyes back to Harry. _"It can only be you. I'll be teaching you spells that are frowned upon by most professors and students. You can't tell anyone about this."_

Harry would have liked to have included his friends, but if agreeing to Tom's demands got him what he wanted then Harry would agree...for now. He nodded once in confirmation.

 _"I'll go over our schedules and find times for us to train."_ Tom told Harry with a sigh of resignation.

A huge smile spread across Harry's lips and he launched himself at Tom. His arms went around Tom's neck and the two embraced in their first real hug in weeks.

 _"Wake up Orion and go to bed. You have classes tomorrow_."

Tom stayed in the common room for awhile longer after Harry dragged the drowsy Orion off. What good mood he had vanished when Harry had taken Orion's hand to help the other boy along back to their dorm.

 _"He's going to be the death of me._ " Tom mumbled. He eyed the rest of his food before flicking his hand and vanishing it away. He wasn't all that hungry anyway.

There was a snicker from Tom's neck and the teen absently reached up to pet at Ophion where he was coiled around his neck. The snake continued to snicker even when Tom hushed him.

* * *

Samhain, or Halloween as the muggle born and some half blood children called it, arrived quickly. Where most eleven year old's would bend under the pressure of planning a big party, Eileen flourished. She was a pure-blood lady in her element and no matter what hurdle came along she never once wavered.

Only one thing flustered Eileen.

Up until the day of the party Orion had been careful not to let Eileen know of his plans. When the day finally arrived she found out about the little things he'd been able to carefully sneak into the party.

He hadn't gotten anything against the rules, like alcohol or fireworks, but Orion's parents had sent him a few of the traditional Black Samhain ritual tools and decorations. Which Orion promptly snuck into the decorations that Eileen had put together.

Eileen had not been amused at all when she came across a Spirit Veil that wasn't meant to be hung up so spirits could speak to and interact with the party goers. Nor was she all that happy when fairy circles started popping up in various corners of the room or in front of the fire place due to a fairy token.

"I don't see the harm." Orion grumbled as Eileen continued to lecture him. "The Spirit Veil can't let anything through. And fairy circles are fun!"

"You can't control which spirit contacts people through a veil!" Eileen had already told Orion this a dozen times. "And fairy circles don't follow normal time! You could be in one for hours or days before you can come back out!"

Orion groaned and his took the offending fairy token that Eileen was shaking at him. "It's a token Eileen! They aren't even full fairy circles! The circles only last until sunrise!"

"Which is after curfew!"

"We technically wouldn't be breaking curfew since we wouldn't be here."

"That's breaking the rules!"

"Just put the token away Orion." Harry chimed in from where he was hanging the garlands along the wall. "Best not to tempt fate when it comes to the fairies."

Eileen grinned as she won with Harry's vote.

"Let's keep the veil though. Samhain is about honoring our ancestors and since we can't have a full bonfire the veil will invite their spirits instead."

Eileen's grin fell, but she could see Harry's point. Without a bonfire the spirits of their ancestors wouldn't be given a proper invitation to join them for party.

"I promise you Eileen that spirits can't pass through the veil." Orion quickly assured her. "They can only look through."

The black haired girl relaxed a little and finally agreed to let them hang the veil up. The trio went back to decorating only for Eileen to find yet another Black artifact and go nuts.

Harry could only roll his eyes.

After the veil was hung though Harry began to wonder if he would see his own ancestors. He had been born in the future and knew his parents had died, but with him being in the past they hadn't even been born yet.

He probably wouldn't get any visits from ancestral spirits.

It was something Harry had come to accept since spending Samhain with the Malfoy family. Tom had been visited by his mother a few times, Abraxas had been visited by his grandparents, but Harry had never had a visitation. It had hurt at first, but after a long talk with Tom he understood it was probably the time travelling that kept his ancestors away.

But he hadn't had a spirit veil last year. The Black family veil might actually allow Harry to meet one of his ancestors.

" _What_ is _that_?!"

And yet another argument sprang up between Orion and Eileen that pulled Harry away from the decorations and setup in order to play mediator.

Thankfully the trio had just enough time after setup to go and get changed for the party. It had been agreed to allow costumes not just to make the muggle born and half-blood students more comfortable, but to follow the pagan tradition that most pure-bloods followed.

The guest list had stretched to include not only their friends, but other first and second years that were friends of their friends. With almost 50 students coming Professor Slughorn had had to talk to Headmaster Dippet about the party.

In the end several ghosts, the ones not attending Headless Nick's death day, had been asked to watch over the younger students since Professor Slughorn had his own party to take care of with the older students.

Curfew had also been extended to after midnight so the bonfire offerings could be burned during the witching hour.

For a lot of muggle born children this would be their first traditional pagan holiday and the trio had done everything in their power to make it as true to tradition as they could.

"Are you sure it's alright I come?" Myrtle asked as she adjusted her mask that had been charmed to act as her glasses while she wore it. Harry had been set to escort the Ravenclaw attendees to the party while Eileen escorted the Hufflepuffs, Orion escorted the Slytherins, and Rupert escorted the Gryffindors. That way no one would get lost.

"You were invited so yes." Harry grinned as he held Myrtle's hand, tugging every now and then to keep her moving. "You said you read all the books about Samhain. Now you get to experience it!"

In preparation for the holiday in her first year Myrtle had checked out every book on pagan holidays thinking she would need to know about them for school. She had been pretty disappointed when the school didn't celebrate the holidays other than having a few feasts.

"I'm just a muggle born though." Myrtle whispered. There were other muggle born children and half-blood children in the Ravenclaw group, but they had never been as bullied as she had.

Harry smiled gently and reached around to give Myrtle a hug around her shoulders. "I'm a half-blood you know." He told her as they walked. "At least I think I am. I might be a muggle born for all I know." He knew he was a half-blood from his trip to Gringotts years ago with Tom, but no one other than him and Tom knew about that. "Don't worry about it tonight ok?"

He didn't let go of Myrtle's shoulders until she relented and nodded.

"Good." Harry looked at the other students and gave them all a big grin. "Let's have fun tonight!"

That got a cheer from the other students and they hurried to the dungeon and into the large room that Harry, Orion, and Eileen had worked all day to decorate and get ready. The house elves had delivered the food and a table with food had been setup next to the Spirit Veil for visiting spirits.

"Oh wow!" Myrtle exclaimed as the carved pumpkins lit up around the room. Music started and soon enough more students showed up.

Costumes had been encouraged, but everyone had been told to avoid anything revealing which house a student was in. That night was all about having fun and forgetting about house loyalties.

"You have bobbing for apples?!" Myrtle asked with a surprised squeal when she noticed the floating tub full of water and shiny red apples.

"Of course we do." Eileen had arrived with the Hufflepuff students. "Many games were pagan originally and were adopted by muggles." She was in her 'Lady hostess' mode with a sweet smile, perfect posture, and calm demeanor. "Come. I'll show you how to play the games the witches way!"

The two girls left Harry standing there in order to go play the games that had been setup for the party.

The Gryffindors arrived next and Rupert gave Harry a big hug before darting off to the food table for a palm sized meat pie. The other Gryffindor students were happy and loud, but otherwise they behaved themselves which helped to calm Harry from the momentary tension he'd felt when the Gryffindor students had arrived.

The Slytherins were last, fashionably of course, and they arrived with a great deal of decorum and poise. All of which seemed to fade away when they realized they didn't have to keep up the act in favor of just letting loose and having fun.

Harry was glad that they had decided to go ahead with the party. It was just what all the younger students needed.

"Come on Harry," An arm grabbed Harry's shoulders and he was swung around to face a grinning Orion. "Let's dance!"

Orion's dashing smile was enough to make Harry blush as the smaller of the two boys was pulled onto the dance floor by the taller. Once the two of them started dancing many other students joined in.

The party had barely started and already it was the most fun Harry had had since starting school.

* * *

Special thanks to: Louise to, Maurey, Deb


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own HP or the HP series

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 19: A Dance to Remember

The party was a hit.

A few arguments broke out now and then, especially between Slytherins and Gryffindors, but they were quickly dissolved before they became problems.

Harry and Orion danced for a few songs only for Harry to be pulled into a dance with Eileen. A quick glance at Orion and Harry was surprised to find his friend sulking just off of the dance floor.

All of Harry's friends insisted on having a dance and when he was finally done his legs felt like jelly.

With a laugh Harry left the dance floor and found his way to a vacant spot near the wall. He was breathing heavily and it took him a minute or so to realize he was standing next to Orion in front of the Spirit Veil.

Orion wasn't sulking anymore, instead he looked strangely serene as he stared into the veil where a tall man with pitch black hair that was carefully styled and the same arched eyebrows that were identical to Orion's.

"Who's that?" Harry asked as he looked at the tall man who was smiling gently at Orion.

At Harry's words Orion jerked a little and his gaze was pulled away from the veil. "Who's who?" He asked in confusion.

Harry nodded his head at the veil. The tall man that had been smiling at Orion had shifted his eerily dark eyes to Harry. His smile turned into a frown as he looked Harry over.

Orion looked from the veil to Harry and back. "I wouldn't know. Everyone seems someone different in the veil." He explained before looking at the veil again. "You only see your blood relatives. They can see all of us though."

"He looks kinda like you." Harry told Orion as he moved so he could get a better look at the man in the veil. "Same eyebrows and cheek bones along with your dark hair."

For a moment Orion was silent. The man in the veil had started grinning slowly and he was nodding to Orion.

"What...what's he wearing Harry?"

Harry began to describe the man in the veil. With each description Orion grew paler and paler. When Harry told Orion that the man was laughing that made Orion reach for a chair and sit down shakily.

"It's not possible." He was mumbling to himself almost incoherently.

Harry was split between watching the man in the veil and helping his friend.

"It's impossible for the family tree to miss someone. It's...it's enchanted with ancient blood magic." Orion said a few other things that Harry couldn't quite catch. Suddenly Orion's dark eyes snapped up and caught Harry's gaze. "Who iare/i you Harry?"

The question threw Harry for a loop and he didn't know how to answer.

Orion shook his head, as if to clear it, then stood back up. He turned Harry by the shoulders so they were both looking into the veil again. "That man there? That's my Great Grandfather Phineas Nigellus Black. You shouldn't be able to see him unless-"

"Unless I'm related to him by blood." Harry finished as his heart seemed to pound in his chest.

Harry knew that he had ancestors, but he had never really thought about who they were. He only knew his last name and the names of his parents; who weren't even born yet. Harry didn't even know if his grandparents were alive yet.

"But how?" Orion demanded softly. "I know the family tree by heart. Never once did I see your image or name."

A shiver went through Harry as he met the gaze of Phineas. His dark eyes were full of curiosity and he looked just as confused as Orion sounded.

Harry could tell Orion the truth, about who he was and when he had come from, but should he? It wasn't a question of trust; Harry trusted Orion implicitly. No, the problem was Tom. What would Tom say if he found out that Harry had shared his secret with Orion without even talking to Tom first?

"I-" Orion chewed at his lip for a moment. "I suppose it's possible you are the grandchild of his daughter. The family tree sometimes leaves off grandchildren from the mother's line." Unless of course the grandchild was brought back into the Black family as an heir.

When Phineas Black had been alive, he had had five children. Not much was known about his daughter as she had chosen to marry someone that the patriarch had not approved. There were rumors she had even eloped to America. Her image had been burned on the family tree to stop the enchanted tapestry from tracking her line in any way, shape, or form.

Phineas was nodding ever so slightly from the other side of the veil. He might not be able to communicate with the living, but he could hear everything that was being said. He had no idea how Harry was related to him, but he could sense his blood within the boy.

It was the only possibility that Orion could think of.

"Do you see anyone else Harry?" Orion asked quickly. He was no longer confused or pale, but curious and excited. His friend was now a mystery that only heightened Orion's budding interest in him.

Harry tilted his head a bit as he tried to look for anyone else in the veil. There were a few shadows here and there, but it was like they couldn't get close at all. Something was holding the spirits back and Harry had a feeling it had to do with whatever magic had brought him into the past.

"No."

Orion huffed softly, but he didn't push it. It wasn't like they could summon the spirits on command so if they weren't approaching then there was nothing he or harry could do.

Still, the knowledge that they shared ancestry? That fact made Orion grin and he wasn't too upset that no other spirit would approach for Harry. The knowledge also meant he had something in common with Harry that Eileen didn't.

"I'm starving." Orion said abruptly. Since no other spirits were appearing for either Harry or Orion, the Black pre-teen had lost interest. "Let's get something to eat then play some games! We still have forever until midnight!"

Just as Harry was turning away from the veil to follow after Orion to the food table, a dark figure seemed to move along the edge of the veil. Harry stopped and eyed the veil for an extra moment before shrugging and wandering away.

The party had been planned for first and second years, but Harry wasn't at all surprised when Tom, Abraxas, and a few of the other pure bloods that were close to Tom came in close to midnight.

"How's your party going?" Tom asked Harry after spotting him and wandering over to his young friend.

"It's been great." Harry was grinning broadly and he had a half eaten treacle tart in one hand. "Once Orion and Eileen stopped arguing over the decorations we were able to finish setting up with enough time to get ready." Harry snickered a little when Eileen sent him a glare that clearly stated that she was not the one at fault for the fighting.

"I got to dance with just about everyone," Harry continued to say as he ignored the look he was getting from Eileen. "I've had lots of tasty food, and-" For a moment Harry paused before leaning closer to Tom so only the older teen could hear. "I might be related to Orion."

Tom felt his jealousy peaking through as Harry talked about dancing, but he was mostly able to ignore it. He could easily get a dance with Harry if he really wanted. This party had been about Harry getting to spend time with his friends.

His control over his jealousy went out the window though when Harry revealed the little secret about his possible relation with Orion.

"Why do you think that?" Tom asked only for Harry to take his hand, which made Tom's heart beat faster to his unease, and led him over to the spirit veil that Orion had set up.

Within the veil Tom spotted his mother's spirit along with several others that he could only assume were his mother's relatives.

"Orion's great grandfather was in the veil. I could see him to." Harry explained. Phineas wasn't there this time, just the blurry distant figures that had been there before. "Orion told me that you can only see the people you are related to in the veil. How else would I have seen Phineas?"

Tom felt relief when he couldn't hear his mother speaking. He wasn't sure how he felt seeing the woman that had died after giving birth to him. She was smiling warmly, but sadly at him and it made his chest hurt a little.

"Tom..."

The teen's attention was pulled away from his mother in the spirit veil and looked down at Harry who was fidgeting a little with his fingers.

"What is it Harry?" Tom asked with a smile of encouragement.

For a moment Harry was silent, but then he took a deep steadying breath. "I want to tell Orion about me." His words were soft enough that only Tom would hear them, and only just barely. Harry would have spoken in parseltongue, but only the students in Slytherin knew about that ability and neither Harry nor Tom wanted that information spreading to the rest of the school.

Tom's posture became tense and his eyes narrowed dangerously as he contemplated what he had just heard.

"A possible blood relation between you and Black is not a reason to reveal-"

"It's not that!" Harry interjected before Tom could finish. "Orion was talking about a family tree and how he knew it by heart!" His words were rushed as he attempted to keep Tom from arguing. "He's going to ask questions eventually Tom! Questions that I won't be able to answer." Harry tried hard not to sound like he was pleading, but he had to make Tom understand. "I don't want to hide things from Orion. He's my friend. It would be like keeping secrets from you."

That absurd jealousy that Tom always felt whenever Orion was mentioned came back to Tom and he had to close his eyes for a moment not to let his anger get the best of him.

"Let me think about it." Tom was able to hiss through his teeth. He didn't trust the Black boy, but he didn't want Harry to be upset. They had only just gotten over their last bout of tension and anger at each other and Tom did not want to start it up again.

Harry smiled brightly up at his best friend and nodded quickly. He knew Tom well enough that when he promised to think about something, he did just that. If after considering everything Tom decided to tell Harry 'no', then there would be a valid reason.

To distract himself from the jealousy that was seething under his skin, Tom took Harry's hand and led him over to the dance floor. He didn't need to ask knowing Harry would say yes.

Thanks to the Malfoy's, Tom was an excellent dancer. He had the grace and poise of a pure-blood and the charm and beauty he had inherited from his hated muggle father. So it wasn't that much of a surprise when people stopped to stare as Tom swept Harry elegantly across the dance floor.

Harry had a little trouble keeping up with Tom, his natural clumsiness making his feet trip every now and then, but Tom was able to cover up his mistakes with quick and fluid movements.

Soon Harry forgot about watching his feet and just enjoyed the feeling of being spun around by his oldest and closest friend. Laughter bubbled out of of him as Tom lifted him up only to dip him down rapidly. Harry's head spun and he forgot to breath as he looked up at Tom from where he was being held up below his tall friend and suddenly Harry found himself blushing.

The way the candle light created a halo around Tom and how his hair fell into his face was beautiful and Harry would have had to have been blind to not see it.

Of course Harry knew his friend was beautiful, he had heard it in enough whispers from various other students, and Harry himself had admitted over the years that Tom was beautiful. But this was the first time that it really hit Harry just how lovely Tom really was.

And it left a strange feeling in Harry's heart.

Before Harry could think more about it he was lifted back up and steadied back onto his feet.

"Thanks for the dance Harry." Tom whispered with a knowing smile before he led Harry off of the dance floor.

A few of the students that had been too stunned not to look away clapped in appreciation before going back to their own friends or groups to whisper about what had just happened. In the following days after the party there would be rumors about Tom and Harry that Tom would quickly put a stop to.

Tom caught Abraxas' eye and his adopted brother lifted a blond brow and motioned a little towards the dance floor.

With a grin that could almost be described as sinister, Tom nodded. "I'll be right back. Abraxas wants a dance as well."

Tom had learned how to dance by practicing with Abraxas. Even though what they did was dancing, it looked more like a battle whenever the two were on the dance floor. Harry had seen such events many times, but very few outside of their family had seen it.

Which left Harry snickering and shaking his head to Orion and Eileen's questions. When they started asking him what was so funny, Harry's snickering grew into laughter.

All Harry could do was laugh and point weakly at the dance floor as Abraxas and Tom moved with dangerously graceful precision. Their steps were prefect and their robes swirled around them almost artistically. Both teenagers had looks of serious concentration as they moved in sync to the music.

Their movements could have been described as violent but for the fact they were not actually attacking each other.

"Are they...trying to out dance each other?" Myrtle asked as she moved closer to the slytherin trio that had befriended her.

Harry shrugged, but he was still having trouble speaking between his laughs. "They've always been like that. They both always wanted to lead during their lessons so now their dancing always turns into a fight."

Who was leading the dance always seemed to switch back and forth between the two almost randomly. One moment Tom would be the one spinning Abraxas and the next Abraxas would be taking Tom by the waist and forcing him to take a couple steps back.

"It got to the point that mother would just have them practice with me instead of each other. I'm short enough that I can never seem to take the lead." Harry stuck his tongue as he reminded himself of his short stature. Even at eleven he was fairly short compared to others his age.

The music came to an end and for a moment Abraxas and Tom stood facing each other, their eyes meeting in fierce glares of challenge, but both were grinning wickedly. After a moment both teens bowed to each other and then moved off of the dance floor.

Students that had been watching clapped loudly and a few of the Gryffindors even cheered.

"How was that?" Abraxas asked Harry once they were close enough.

"Aggressive." Harry answered rather blandly. "Mother would not be pleased."

Tom fought the urge to roll his eyes. The Malfoy matriarch was difficult to please when it came to proper pure-blood etiquette.

"But who won?" Abraxas prodded Harry, not even showing a drop of remorse for dancing the way he had.

Both Tom and Abraxas watched Harry expectantly as the younger boy tilted his head and considered the two older teens.

"Tom had the lead more often that time." Harry finally said with a nod of his head. "So I would think Tom won."

Abraxas' shoulders sagged and he hung his head for a moment dramatically before he stood straight again with a grin. "I'll win next time Tom. Just wait and see."

"If we ever dance again." Tom pointed out. "This is the first time we've gotten to dance outside of practice in what...a year? Two?"

Mrs. Malfoy made it a point to keep Tom and Abraxas from dancing together while at Malfoy parties; for the sake of her own sanity.

"Looks like it's almost midnight." Eileen piped up as she looked at the antique clock that was hanging on one wall. "Let's get the offerings ready." She said as she grabbed both Harry and Orion to drag them over to the baskets that were near the fireplace.

Harry made sure to grab Myrtle's hand so she could join them. Even though she knew what was going on from her research, it was always better to learn about things first hand.

Other students quickly joined the small group near the fireplace. Some students had brought their own offerings, particularly the pure-bloods and half-bloods that followed the old traditions, but others took the offerings that Harry, Eileen, and Orion were handing out.

Orion had a bundle of herbs that were tied together with a cord that was inscribed with runes that had personal meaning to his family. Eileen held a package wrapped in a faded dark cloth that she held gently. Abraxas handed Harry the Malfoy traditional offering of pure white bones, oak leaves, sage, mint, and thistle that had been dipped in honey and wrapped in a pure white silk cloth that had a simple for life and death embroidered into the cloth.

The scent of herbs filled Harry's nose and his eyes fluttered closed as he took it in. It was a calming and cleansing scent that always relaxed Harry and calmed his magic.

"We give thanks to our ancestors." The room had gone quiet as Eileen spoke. As the hostess of the Samhain party it was her job to start the offering burning ritual. "On this dark night when their spirits are able to visit, on this night that we honor the Dark Mother and Dark Father."

Eileen unwrapped her offering to reveal a simple cake, a few bones, and a piece of wheat from the last harvest. "We give these offerings in thanks for the past year and to ask for your blessing for the year to come."

With those words Eileen tossed her offerings into the fire. The fire flared up and greedily accepted what she had thrown in.

Although he could not see them, Harry could feel the power of the nature spirits outside as the offerings were thrown into the fire one by one.

He had learned what they were after his first Yule with the Malfoy's. The floating lights he had seen had been nature spirits. Mrs. Malfoy had been surprised to learn that he had seen them and she had told them how they usually didn't reveal themselves to people unless they were especially powerful or pure.

Sometimes Harry could hear one of the other students whispering something as they threw in their offering. He could guess at what they were saying; a thanks or a whispered message for one of their loved ones long gone.

Harry's turn came quick enough and he fingered the herbs he carried. He never knew what to say when making offerings to his ancestors. His parents were dead in his time, but they hadn't even been born yet in this one. His grandparents were probably still alive. His great grandparents? Harry had no idea.

In the end Harry simply thanked his ancestors he did not know, the nature spirits that blessed him with their presence, and the gods of magic that had brought him to the past to be with his Tom.

The fire flared once more as Harry tossed in his offering and a blanket of magic settled across his body making his skin tingle.

A calm and serene feeling had settled over the party goers after the offerings had been made. Any conversation was quiet and in hushed whispers. It was a comfortable quiet and no one seemed to want to break the magic that was in the air.

"Blessings be upon you." Eileen murmured quietly, but loud enough so that everyone could hear her. "Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again."

The students gathered repeated Eileen's words in murmurs and whispers.

"So mote it be."

With that the party ended. The students separated into their houses and were escorted out by the Hogwarts ghosts that had been chaperoning the party.

Harry found himself walking between Tom and Abraxas, both of his hands held within one of theirs. They were his family and in that moment, with ancestral magic swirling between them, Harry felt an unbreakable connection to both of them.

There was little doubt that the party had brought the first and second years together despite their house allegiances. Tom knew Harry would have a strong group of friends from that moment forward.

"Let's head back to the common room." Abraxas said quietly. House elves had already appeared in the shadows of the room with the intent of cleaning up. Even though curfew had been extended for the party the students still had to get to bed within a reasonable time frame.

Both Tom and Harry nodded and once the room had cleared out a bit the three left.

They had just made it to the entrance to the common room when Harry remembered something. "Orion's spirit veil!" He had meant to grab it for Orion when the party ended. "I'll be right back!"

Before Tom or Abraxas could stop him, Harry darted away and back down to the room in the dungeon. It wasn't that far from the Slytherin dorms so he could just grab the veil and get back before anyone missed him.

The house elves were hard at work putting the room to rights when Harry returned panting. They were a little surprised to see a student, but they quickly asked if he needed anything.

"No, no! I'm fine! I just need to grab something." Harry quickly went over to the spirit veil and used his wand to levitate the veil off of its hangings and fold it up.

It was a good thing Harry had returned. As he was looking around he spotted a few of Orion's other family heirlooms that the Black teen had forgotten to grab even though he had said he would. With a fond sigh Harry gathered everything up. It was a little awkward carrying everything by himself, but he was able to manage fine.

Harry had to move slowly as he left the room to make sure he didn't drop any of Orion's things. He wasn't upset at all, but Harry would make jokes at Orion's expense for a couple days in revenge.

Even though he was juggling so many things and lost to his own thoughts, Harry didn't fail to notice the sound of someone whispering not far from where he was.

With a frown Harry wandered towards the direction the whispers were coming from. All the students should have been escorted back to their common rooms. The only reason Harry was even out was because he had been one of the party planners and was helping to take things down.

"Orion? Is that you?" Harry called out as he awkwardly opened a door leading into a side hallway that went into an abandoned storage closet. "Eileen?"

If his hands and arms hadn't been burdened with everything Harry might have been able to get a hold of his wand to stop the creature that suddenly darted towards him with a screeching hiss.

Harry heard someone cry out, he saw a large hand reach out to try and stop the creature, but the only thing he could focus on was the sudden pain in his leg from the creature biting him.

"Harry!"

His eyes started swimming and Harry shook his head hard to try and clear it. Dizziness filled his mind and the pain in his leg grew sharp and began to burn.

"You'll pay for this Hagrid!"

Harry's world went dark then and he began to fall. His mind went blank just in time for him to not feel his body hitting the ground.

* * *

Special thanks to: Louise to, Maurey, Deb


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Do not own. Sad panda.

A/N: Reminder that I do a lot of updates and stuff on my tumblr: ethrildragon. Also that I update on Monday's

Also! Happy Holidays guys!

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 20: Growing Pains

"Mr. Malfoy is making a habit of coming to the hospital wing."

There were voices floating around Harry, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't seem to force himself to open his eyes or sit up. He recognized the older voice that was speaking, but his head was so fuzzy.

"Not by choice."

That voice! Harry knew that voice; he would recognize Tom's voice anywhere.

"He's lucky the acromantula was still a baby. It's venom could have killed Hadrian otherwise."

Recognition was starting to come to Harry, but the name of the older man still eluded him. Harry struggled to open his eyes, to move, to do anything, but his entire body felt numb.

"I think he's waking up Sir Leighleas."

Tom's voice again and it sent a shiver through Harry. The paralysis his body was under scared Harry and it was only Tom's presence that kept Harry from panicking.

"Ah." There was a ruffling sound of fabric. "So he is."

Magic spread across Harry and in an instant his eyes were finally able to open and he was able to sit up on the cot he had been resting on.

"Tom!" Harry didn't even need to see Tom to know where he was. As soon as he was up Harry launched himself into Tom's arms. He didn't have far to go seeing as how Tom was sitting on the edge of the cot.

"What do you remember Mr. Malfoy?"

Harry turned his head a fraction to look at the man that had been speaking with Tom. Sure enough it was the mediwizard Sir Leighleas.

"I was heading back after getting Orion's things." Harry closed his eyes and buried his face into Tom's chest. At that moment he didn't care if an adult was watching them or what other people would think; Harry just wanted to feel comforted by the one person that had always and would always be there for him. "I heard something and went to see what it was. I thought maybe Orion or Eileen had come back for something."

"And then?" Sir Leighleas prompted when Harry went quiet.

"Pain. I-it was dark and I didn't get a good look at who was there." Harry didn't even know if he had been bitten by a creature or hit with a spell. "What happened?" He asked after taking a steadying breath and reopening his eyes.

Sir Leighleas was tapping his wand against his arm as he listened to Harry's story. "The student Rubeus Hagrid was keeping a baby Acromantula in the school. You were unlucky enough to get bit by it."

Harry frowned up at the healer from where he was still being held by Tom. He knew a lot of things, thanks to Abraxas and Tom, but Harry had no idea what an acromantula was.

"It's a giant, sentient, man eating spider." Tom whispered to Harry quickly.

A shudder of revulsion went through Harry. He wasn't scared of spiders, he had grown used to them since there had been a great many living in the cupboard under the stairs back at the Dursley's, but that didn't mean he liked them either.

"You were lucky Tom went to find you." Sir Leighleas told Harry. "The baby acromantula's venom wouldn't have killed you, but it would have seriously harmed you the longer it was in your system."

Honestly Harry felt fine even though Sir Leighleas seemed so serious. Sure the bite had hurt, and Harry had passed out from the pain, and venom, but he was fine now.

"What happened to Hagrid?" Harry squirmed a bit as Tom started to pet his hair instead of just holding him. His cheeks colored in embarrassment as he caught Sir Leighleas smirking a little out of the corner of his eye.

"Keeping a class xxxxx beast without special permits and permissions from the ministry is a major crime with possible prison time." Sir Leighleas answered quickly as Tom sneered at the half giant's name. "Professor Dumbledore is arguing for leniency and to suspend Mr. Hagrid for the rest of the term. The board wants the boy expelled."

"He brought a dangerous wizard killing beast into the school! He should be expelled!" Tom could barely contain his rage. Harry could have died if that damned spider had been even a little bit older.

His black eyes flickered dangerously to red for a brief moment until he felt Harry shift in his arms. Quickly Tom relaxed so he could comfort his little Harry.

"B-but..." Harry hesitated a moment. He knew that keeping such a dangerous creature in a school full of children was against the rules and anyone could have gotten hurt. "He didn't order the creature to attack me." He couldn't defend Hagrid very well. All Harry could think about was what if Orion or Eileen had been there instead of him? They would be the ones that had gotten hurt and Tom wouldn't have gone after them like he had with Harry.

Tom frowned deeply at Harry who at least didn't argue any more after that. "He broke the laws Harry. He'll be lucky if they don't send him to Azkaban."

"Your brother is right Mr. Malfoy."

The reminder that Tom was now related to Harry, albeit by magic, made the older teen wince a little in discomfort.

"Mr. Hagrid knowingly brought a dangerous beast into the school and has acknowledged the fact that he does know how dangerous the acromantula is. He broke the law willingly and placed the students and staff of Hogwarts at risk." Sir Leighleas wasn't trying to be harsh, but it was obvious to him that Harry had too gentle of a heart.

Sir Leighleas sighed ever so softly and his expression softened a little. "There isn't much that can be done to help him at this point."

Harry nodded dejectedly. He hated the idea that someone was going to be expelled because of him. Last time he hadn't been conscious and could say or do anything. This time he was awake, but there was still nothing he could do.

"Don't think too much about it Harry." Tom murmured as he gently stroked Harry's hair. "You'll just upset yourself."

Something dawned on Harry then and he had to quickly hide his face in Tom's chest so Sir Leighleas wouldn't suspect.

Harry had been attacked! Again! The last time it had happened Tom had killed the attackers in retribution. What would he do to Hagrid?!

As if sensing Harry wanted to be alone with Tom, Sir Leighleas sheathed his wand and nodded. "You can rejoin your housemates at lunch tomorrow Mr. Malfoy." He turned to leave the two alone. "Rest."

Once they were alone Tom quickly cast a charm so that no one would be able to listen in on their conversation.

"Don't kill him!" Harry whispered urgently once he and Tom were completely alone. "It wasn't Hagrid's fault! Not completely!" He had to make sure Tom didn't kill Hagrid. "Yeah he brought a dangerous creature into the school, but it wasn't like he sent it to attack me on purpose!"

Tom never got a chance to argue with Harry as the younger boy just kept going.

"Besides, if Hagrid goes missing as well people are going to ask questions." Harry's Slytherin tendencies were coming out then. He wasn't as manipulative as his housemates, but that didn't mean he didn't know how to talk people into or out of things.

"Harry!" Tom quickly cut in before Harry could add even more to his argument. "Why are you defending that oaf? He could have seriously hurt you with that acromantula."

"But he didn't mean to Tom." Harry pushed back almost pleadingly. "I'm positive his intent wasn't to hurt anyone."

Tom reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course Harry would defend the half giant.

"Please Tom." Harry begged, his voice getting softer. "I accept he has to be expelled, but don't kill him." He scooted away from Tom and kept his gaze down and away. It was only when his own expression turned dark that he looked back up at Tom.

"This isn't about how dangerous the creature was." Harry's voice was quiet and his words were slow. "This was because I got hurt again and you weren't there to protect me. You can't punish Hagrid for that."

"He put everyone in the dungeons at risk by-"

"Stop it Tom!" It almost sounded like Harry was snarling and it caused Tom to reel back in surprise.

"If you really cared about that then what about Senestra?!" Harry demanded. "Last I checked she's a dangerous creature that can kill with just her eyes! This isn't about the spider or Hagrid!"

Harry took a deep breath. Rarely did he lose his temper and snap at Tom, but he needed to get through to Tom. "I got hurt. Hagrid is partially at fault, but by the sounds of it he has taken responsibility. He doesn't deserve to die because of an accident."

Tom found himself clenching his jaw and grinding his teeth together. In a corner of his mind he knew Harry was right, but that didn't stop the dark nagging thoughts about wanting to punish Hagrid. No one harmed his Harry; even if it was an accident.

Even though Tom wasn't saying anything, Harry knew the older teen was not going to listen to him.

"Tom..." Harry turned was getting desperate, and desperate times called for desperate measures. "If you cause harm to Hagrid in any way," Harry warned as his shoulders shook a little. He hated what he was about to say, but he needed to say it. "I will never speak to you again. I'll swear it on my magic if I have to."

"Harry!"

"No Tom. I'm serious." Harry scooted as far away on the cot from Tom as he could. "You can't kill people just because of an accident." As much as it would kill him to distance himself from Tom, Harry knew this had to be done.

Tom had a darkness in him that Harry had seen a few times and if Tom wasn't careful that darkness would consume him.

The last thing Harry wanted was to see Tom lose himself to that darkness.

"Fine." Tom hissed angrily. If Harry was serious enough to risk giving up his magic, then Tom would relent for the moment. "But if Hagrid ever does anything to you again-"

"If it's on purpose and with harmful intent I will not stop you." Harry finished for Tom. "Everyone makes mistakes though Tom." The unspoken 'even you' settled between the two when neither chose to speak after that.

Tom moved to get close to Harry again, probably to give him a hug, but Harry just jerked his shoulder away from Tom and looked away from him a sharp move of his head.

"I-I'll let you rest Harry." Tom whispered tightly as he got up off of Harry's cot. "I'll tell the others you are...you'll be alright." On his way out he gathered up the things Harry had had with him at the time. He might as well get Orion back his things so Harry wouldn't try and do it himself tomorrow.

Harry didn't look back at Tom as the older teen gathered everything up and headed for the door. He could sense Tom looking back at him, but still Harry kept his eyes firmly locked onto the window across from his cot.

"He means well."

The words made Harry jump in surprise. He had been so focused on ignoring Tom that Harry hadn't been expecting anyone else.

"Sir Leighleas!" Harry flushed in embarrassment over his jump and rubbed the ran his fingers through his messy hair. "I didn't hear you return."

The older wizard smirked a bit at that. "I apologize. I try to move quietly at night so I don't wake up patients." Sir Leighleas waited for a moment to see if Harry would say anything, but when the boy just went back to silently looking at the window again the man sighed.

"He really does care about you." Sir Leighleas said as he took a seat in a chair next to Harry's cot. "I get the impression Mr. Gaunt is not very good at expressing himself."

"No...Tom's never been good at that." Harrry admitted as he resigned himself to the fact the healer would not be leaving. "At least not when other people are around."

Sir Leighleas smiled comfortingly and nodded. "I knew someone like that once." His words were slow and measured, his eyes distant as he recalled past memories. "He was a very smart young man, but impatient. He wanted so desperately to go out into the world and do great things, to change the world, but family obligations kept him from his dreams."

Harry slowly looked away from the window and turned his pale green eyes to Sir Leighleas. The mediwizard had gone quiet and was grasping the front of his robes with one hand.

"What happened to him?"

The question shook Sir Leighleas from his thoughts and he smiled sadly at Harry. "We got into a fight a long time ago. A difference in opinion on how to go about changing the world." He let go of his robe and instead ran his fingers through his hair.

"There was an accident. He...He grew so angry afterwards. He blamed me for everything that had happened and I ran." Sir Leighleas looked like he'd just been struck. "I look back now and wonder if it really was my fault, but back then I believed him. So I stayed away."

The older wizard looked up at Harry then, his eyes shimmering a little in sadness. "I stayed away thinking it was best for both of us. It just made everything worse. By the time I came back..." Sir Leighleas shook his head and refused to finish the story.

"Don't be too hard on your Tom. I get the feeling it's his nature to be over protective of you and that he's had reason to be protective in the past."

Harry nodded stiffly. Sir Leighleas was right about Tom having had reason to be protective in the past. Harry's relatives had been horrible and there were still physical and mental scars that he knew would never go away.

"I just don't want to lose him..." Harry whispered, his words almost too soft to hear.

A hand covered Harry's clenching fists and the boy jumped. Sir Leighleas still looked sad, but he was smiling gently.

"Just be there to support him. Be the light he needs when his darkness gets too strong." Sir Leighleas winced a bit. "Don't make the same mistakes I did."

"What can I do though?" Harry was feeling desperate now. "I don't want to be treated like a little kid for the rest of my life." Which he had a feeling would happen if he did as Sir Leighleas said.

The wizard chuckled and he pat at Harry's hands a couple times. "Stand up for yourself, but be reasonable. How would you feel if Tom was the one getting hurt all the time and you weren't always there to protect him?"

Just the thought of Tom getting hurt had Harry's heart pounding and his eyes going wide. "I'd feel terrible."

Sir Leighleas nodded encouragingly.

"I would...I would want to protect him in any way I could."

"And that is just what Tom wants to do." The man's brown eyes reminded Harry of melted chocolate, but the more the boy looked into those eyes the more he started to see something else; something hidden.

"Be a voice of reason for him. You may think he treats you like a child, but I can tell he values your advice." With that said Sir Leighleas stood up. With a flick of his wand he dimmed the lights closest to Harry's cot. "Now. Get some rest Mr. Malfoy. I'll bring you some breakfast in the morning."

Maybe it was a combination of the magic of Samhain and the spider venom, but as Sir Leighleas turned away from Harry's cot, the air around the wizard seemed to shiver a little. For a moment Harry's sensitivity spiked and he had to shake his head and blink several times to clear his vision.

"Good night Sir Leighleas."

For a moment, just a split second, the man's hair had seemed lighter than what Harry was used too.

* * *

Harry woke that morning to the feeling that something was off with his magic. Before he'd gotten bitten by that blasted spider his magic had been super charged from the Samhain party; after attending so many ritual events with the Malfoy's Harry had gotten used to the super charged feeling.

This morning though it felt like his magic couldn't decide if it was riled up or sluggish. One moment he was wide awake and hyper and the next Harry felt like he was going to be sick and collapse.

"Ah. You woke up before I could get to you."

Harry turned his head carefully to look at the mediwizard as he strolled over to Harry's cot with a tray of food in his hands.

"You're probably feeling the side effects of acromantula venom." Sir Leighleas sounded apologetic as he set the food down in order to take up his wand to wave intricate circles above Harry's head. "The venom is a powerful paralytic that can disrupt a person's magical core."

As soon as Sir Leighleas was done Harry's magic seemed to settle and the young pre-teen was able to take a deep breath in relief.

The sudden chaos that his magic had been in though had broken Harry's careful focus and his over sensitivity to magic returned to its normal state. Harry rubbed at his arms as the static feeling that Sir Leighleas' magic gave off caused the hairs on his arms to stand up.

The mediwizard was the only one close enough though for Harry to focus on in order to keep the magic of Hogwarts from overwhelming him like it almost had when he had first seen the school.

It did make Harry wonder about something though. He'd been visiting Hogwarts for years secretly, so why hadn't the magic of the school bothered him then?

It was a question he would bring up to Tom later.

The distraction of Sir Leighleas' magic gave Harry enough time to refocus on his bond with Tom. He could feel Tom's magic surrounding him once more and it calmed Harry's senses.

He was concentrating so hard on what he was doing that Harry failed to notice Sir Leighleas watching him intently.

"There is...something else-" Sir Leighleas was trying to say only to be interrupted when the hospital wing door slammed open.

"Hadrian!"

Harry felt his entire face turn bright red when his adopted mother rushed into the hospital wing only to gather him up into her arms as soon as she reached his cot.

"I was so worried about you! First you get attacked by those horrible boys and now you were bit by an acromantula! My poor boy!"

If there was ever any doubt about whether or not the matron of the Malfoy family cared about Harry, that doubt had fully and completely been squashed.

"M-mother!" Since being adopted Harry had gotten used to calling the woman mother; she had insisted frequently enough that eventually Harry had felt strange just calling her 'Mrs. Malfoy'.

At least she wasn't calling him her poor _baby_ boy.

"Please do not over stimulate Hadrian, Mrs. Malfoy." Sir Leighleas interjected quickly as the woman began to pet Harry's hair in a comfortingly manner and rock him gently in her arms.

"What are you doing here mother?" Harry asked once the Malfoy matron relaxed her all encompassing hold on him.

Sir Leighleas was the one to speak up then. "It is standard procedure to notify parents or guardians when a student is grievously injured."

"Precisely dear." Mrs. Malfoy smoothed down Harry's messy hair again and smiled fondly when it only sprung back up after her hand had moved away. "When I got Sir Leighleas' letter this morning I came over straight away."

Harry was practically smothered in maternal love as Mrs. Malfoy pulled him in for another hug. "I wasn't hurt that bad!" He insisted as he squirmed within his adopted mother's arms. His cheeks were red in embarrassment as he noticed the mediwizard smirking a bit at the sight of the two of them.

"As stated in the letter I sent you, Mrs. Malfoy, the acromantula was just recently hatched and its venom has only caused minor reactions." Sir Leighleas assured the mother as she continued to refuse to let Harry go. "A good breakfast and bed rest for a few hours will be enough to bring your son back to full health."

"Thank goodness." Mrs. Malfoy sighed in relief, but it took a few more gentle assurances from Sir Leighleas before she finally let Harry go once more.

"I'm going to go have a word with your headmaster." Mrs. Malfoy stated crisply as she stood up with all of her pure-blood poise, but only after Harry started eating the breakfast that the mediwizard had brought him. "I'll be back soon." She cooed softly before leaning down to give Harry a kiss on the top of his head.

Once Mrs. Malfoy was gone Sir Leighleas reached into a pocket. "This came for you this morning. I didn't think you wanted to read it with your mother hovering over you."

It was a letter from Harry and Tom's benefactors.

"Finish eating and then you can read it." Sir Leighleas lifted the letter away when Harry tried to reach for it. "It's important you get all your nutrients for the next few days, to make sure your body is strong enough to fight off the last of the venom's affects."

"I understand Sir Leighleas." Harry took the offered letter and set it down on the night stand next to his cot and went back to eating; although he did eat a bit faster than before.

The mediwizard waited until most of Harry's breakfast was gone before nodding and walking off towards the door leading into his office.

Harry waited until Sir Leighleas was in his office and the door was completely shut before he set the rest of his food to the side and grabbed the letter.

 _"Harry,_

 _If you're reading this then you've learned that Tom can't always be there to protect you. It's a hard lesson and I know you feel lost, but trust that this feeling won't last forever._

 _Both of you are growing up and there will be growing pains. Trust that no matter what happens Tom will never stop caring deeply about you. He only wants to do right by you._

 _He needs you right now Harry. Tom will never admit it, but he's terrified of losing you; either to your new friends or to circumstances beyond his control._

 _I'm not saying this to make you feel guilty. You need to know._

 _Talk to him. Let him tell you how he feels. Maybe take a weekend for just the two of you._

 _Oh! There's a book in the Slytherin library you and Tom should both read. I think it'll help with the whole protection thing. The book is "The Magic that Binds us" and it's written in parselscript. It'll help with your dueling lessons._

 _Take care."_

Harry didn't know why, but there were tears in his eyes. It felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders after all this time. And yet there was a heaviness in his heart. Was Tom really afraid that he was losing Harry? It was true he had been spending a lot of time with his new friends, but he hadn't realized until then just how much time he'd given to them instead of Tom.

He thought back to all the times back at the orphanage when the other kids would try to befriend him. Tom would always get jealous and over protective, and in the end Harry would learn that the other kids couldn't really be trusted. And yet Harry still always tried to make friends.

The sound of a door opening made Harry jump and quickly stuff the letter under the blanket so no one else would see it. He grabbed his tray to finish the fruit that was still there.

"Hadrian dear, how are you feeling?" Mrs. Malfoy asked as she hurried back over to Harry's cot to sit down next to him. "Did you have enough to eat?"

His adopted mother's fretting was comforting and for a moment Harry just enjoyed the feeling of having a mother to take care of him.

Despite having Mrs. Malfoy there to talk to him and fuss over him, Harry found his mind going to the bond he shared with Tom. He wanted to see his life long friend and apologize for everything. He wanted to do just as the letter suggested and spend time with Tom. Harry was still mad about Tom's over protectiveness, but he understood better now why Tom was acting the way he was.

* * *

A/N: I've dropped a few clues and hints into this chapter. See if you can guess what the heck is going on?!

Special thanks to: Louise to, Maurey, and Deb


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Do not own it.

A/N: oh god this chapter gave me such a headache. You don't even know.

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 21: Prophecies

In the end Hagrid was expelled. There wasn't anything anyone could do, especially Dumbledore, seeing as how the half giant had broken the school rules and several wizarding laws by bringing a class xxxxx beast into the school.

Harry did plead for leniency and testified on Hagrid's behalf that the older boy hadn't meant for Harry to get hurt. Tom wasn't happy, but he wasn't arguing since Harry had promised to spend more time with him after the entire situation was taken care of.

Tom had felt the guilt in Harry's heart and he wondered what had brought it on.

Hagrid was expelled, but with both Harry and Dumbledore arguing on his behalf, the large boy's wand was not broken. Instead it was taken away and would be given back after Hagrid turned 17. If Hagrid got another wand before that time, then both wands would be snapped.

"It's better than that oaf deserves." Alf cursed lightly as he and the other older Slytherins lounged around in the common room. "I mean really. What was he thinking bringing a wizard eating creature into the school?"

"I don't think he had the brains to think properly." Lestrange responded as he idly turned the page of his potions book.

Despite being in the common room with the others of his group, Abraxas wasn't really joining in with the conversation. He disliked insulting people; even if they had messed up royally.

"Hey Malfoy," Abraxas looked up from the essay he was writing when Alf called out to him. "Where are your brothers? No one has seen them all day."

"And you won't see them until next Monday." Abraxas answered with a very bored tone. "Mother requested that Tom and Harry go home for the week." She'd actually only requested Harry, but the youngest of the Malfoy boys had begged for Tom to come along as well.

"But...an entire week?"

Abraxas didn't mind being left out. In fact Harry had taken him to the side and explained why he needed to spend time with Tom. He understood it; the two had been close as children and ever since Tom had started Hogwarts, more and more people had been introduced to the two of them. Abraxas couldn't remember the last time when Harry and Tom had gotten to just be with just each other.

Before any more questions could be asked Abraxas grabbed his things and left the common room. He'd finish his essay back in his dorm room away from the others. He was tired of all the ridiculous questions and and inane gossip.

He just hoped when Tom and Harry returned Monday that Tom would be more like himself and less like a muggle bomb about to go off.

* * *

Mrs. Malfoy had expected more of a fight from the Hogwarts Headmaster when she had requested to take her youngest home for the week. But after everything that had happened, and her husbands veiled threats about going to the board about how the school couldn't seem to protect one child from harm, Dippet had given in quickly to her request.

In fact she'd gotten more of an argument out of Dumbledore when all the teachers had been asked for the assignments for Harry when told the first year was going home for the week.

Professor Dumbledore had insisted that if Harry was pulled from school, for even a little while, the 'poor boy', as he called Harry, would fall dreadfully behind in his work. He'd explained to Mrs. Malfoy that Harry was barely exhibiting average work in Transfiguration.

Mrs. Malfoy hadn't been swayed one bit by the blue eyed professor, despite his attempts to plead with her, and had simply taken Harry's work and left.

To her surprise when she'd asked if Harry would be alright with recovering at home for a week he had requested that Tom come home as well.

Tom had been equally surprised; Harry had only asked for him. He made the token argument about missing classes and falling behind with his school work, but his professors quickly assured him he would be fine. Dumbledore had grudgingly stated Tom was ahead of his current work and that he would do alright.

So Tom and Harry ended up going home shortly after the trial for Hagrid.

"So are you going to tell me what this is all about?" Tom asked once the two of them were finally alone after a long day of the Malfoy adults hovering over Harry.

Harry hadn't really gotten a chance to talk to Tom in the last couple days. Mrs. Malfoy had always been hovering close by, then the trial had happened, and then both of the Malfoy parents had proceeded to hover.

"Sir Leighleas helped me to realize a few things." Harry was sitting on his bed with his legs crossed beneath him. "And...and I realized that I've been ignoring you by accident." He looked down guiltily and began picking at the blanket he was sitting on. "I was so busy focusing on all my new friends that I forgot the most important one."

When Harry finally looked up, it was to find a wide eyed shocked Tom.

"I'm sorry Tom." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I was upset with you because of how protective you were being. I never stopped to think about why."

The unshed tears that Tom saw in Harry's eyes before the younger boy looked down finally shook Tom out of his frozen state. With quick strides Tom went over to the bed and pulled Harry into a tight hug.

Tom had never been good at apologizing, even to Harry, but he did his best to tell Harry just how he felt through that embrace.

"We both made mistakes." Tom mumbled as Harry returned the hug after a moment. "We'll get through this. Like we always do."

"So..." It felt like the hug would never end, but Harry felt like they needed to get a few things out in the open. "Maybe we should talk? Like really talk."

"What is it you want to talk about then?" Tom was pretty sure the two of them had already talked things through before. Harry wanted to learn how to duel so Tom wouldn't need to protect him as much anymore, and Harry had made it clear he did not want Tom hurting other people; even if he was sure they deserved it.

So what else did Harry want to talk about?

Tom frowned as Harry began to fidget with the blanket again.

Even though it had been Harry's idea to talk, he had no idea how to broach the subject he wanted to talk about. Harry had known about Tom's inner darkness for years, but it wasn't until Sir Leighleas had spoken of it that Harry realized he and Tom needed to talk about it.

"I'm scared of losing you Tom." Harry finally admitted after Tom gently shook his shoulder. "I never worried about it growing up, but...but your darkness...I'm scared it'll take you away from me."

"I know you've always had it growing up, but I always ignored it before. You were never mean or hurt people unless they hurt us first. But now?" Harry refused to look at Tom as he forced himself to voice what was wrong. "You killed those Gryffindors even though they'd been expelled. You wanted to hurt Hagrid even though it'd all been an accident. Those are just what I know about."

"Harry-"

"What about the things that happen when I'm not around?" Harry reached forward and grabbed Tom's hand. "I can feel when your magic flares Tom. I know when you get so angry that you lash out. And it's been happening a lot more often recently."

"I'm scared-"

"You won't ever lose me Harry." Tom snapped at his young friend. "As long as I have you, my darkness will never take me from you."

"How can you be so sure?" Harry demanded quietly. "Dark magic is...it's addicting. It can twist the mind if you don't handle it with care." He took a deep breath to calm himself down. He was trying to have a talk with Tom, not blow up at him.

"Harry," With gentle fingers Tom lifted Harry's face up by his chin. "As long as I have your light in my life, I won't lose control."

Light. That's what Sir Leighleas had told Harry; to be the light Tom needed. But could Harry really do it? He'd do anything for Tom, anything, but would he be strong enough in the long run?

"You'll always have me." Harry wasn't a coward; he'd do everything in his power to be there for Tom. "You're my best friend."

There was a twinge in Tom's heart when he heard those words leave Harry's lips. He should have been happy to hear them, but instead he felt something dark stir in his heart.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked as he frowned at Tom. For a moment there he had felt something strange from Tom and his magic had flickered like it always did when Tom was getting angry or irritated.

"It's nothing."

Tom wasn't sure what was wrong. He normally only felt this way whenever Harry was spending time with other people. He'd always associated the feeling to being jealous. But why was he feeling it now?! The two of them were alone and Harry had just told him that they were best friends.

With a frown Harry got up onto his knees so he would be a little higher than Tom on the bed. "It's not nothing." If he was going to be the 'light' that Tom needed then Harry was going to take that role seriously right away. "Tell me what's going on Tom. Please." His voice softened and his gaze became sad.

The strong wave of worry and concern coming from Harry was enough to make Tom sigh and give in to the younger boy.

"I don't really know." Tom hated this. He really did. He hated not knowing something about himself. "I think-" He clenched his jaw for a moment. "I think I might be feeling jealous."

"Jealous..."

"Of your new friends." Tom hissed out almost too quietly for Harry to hear. "I don't want them replacing me."

So the letter had been right. Tom was worried that Harry was going to leave in favor of his new friends.

"I know I'm partially to blame. I've been over protective and I've been treating you like a little kid-"

Tom was silenced when suddenly he was being hugged.

"I hate it, but I am a kid." Harry whispered reluctantly as he held onto Tom. "I can't promise I'll not fight anymore, but I'll try to listen to you more."

"That's all I ask."

The two spent what felt like hours just talking peacefully with each other. When dinner time rolled around Mrs. Malfoy went to fetch her two sons only to find both boys fast asleep on Harry's bed.

With a warm smile Mrs. Malfoy waved her wand a tucked the two boys in. She would make sure to tell the house elves to leave some food on a warming tray in case Tom or Harry woke up hungry later.

* * *

"Hadrian! Please be careful!"

At the request of both Harry and Tom, with a little more pleading and puppy eyes from Harry, the Malfoy parents took the two boys to the beach for one of the days they were home.

The moment they had apparated to the beach Harry had gone straight for the waves that were lapping up against the sand; even though Harry was supposed to be taking it easy so both his body and magic could recover from the acromantula's venom.

Harry barely heard Mrs. Malfoy yelling for him to be careful, he was just so happy to be at the beach again after what felt like years. With so many children staying at the Malfoy's they hadn't been able to visit the beach.

"I'll take care of him." Tom assured his adopted parents before following after Harry at a more leisurely pace.

The younger of the two boys was laughing loudly and kicking at the cold water that splashed over his feet. He'd pulled up the legs of his trousers, but that hadn't stopped the water from soaking the boy.

"You are worrying Mrs. Malfoy." Despite the sternness of his words, Tom was smirking at his young friend.

Harry made quite a picture for Tom as the older teen slowly took Harry in. The younger boy's feet were slowly sinking into the wet sand while the salty water from the ocean was continuously rolling back and forth against Harry's legs. The expensive black trousers that Harry had chosen to wear that day were soaked from the knees down and were most likely ruined by the salty water. Harry was bent over slightly so he could keep the legs of his pants up.

"Oh." Harry bit at his lip and looked back to where the two adults had setup a blanket and their lunch basket.

Tom rolled his eyes before reaching out to ruffle Harry's hair. "Don't worry about it. Just be careful."

Those silky black locks that Tom always enjoyed petting flew around Harry's face as the younger boy nodded quickly. "I will." He promised with a toothy grin.

Without any hesitation, Harry dropped the legs of his pants and quickly grabbed onto Tom's hand. "Come on!" Harry couldn't care less if his pants were ruined or not, he only cared about enjoying the day with Tom.

"Harry-" Tom was pulled along by the hyper preteen before he could chastise Harry for hopping around in the waves.

The water was too cold to swim in, but that didn't stop Harry from reaching down now and then to gather as much water in his hand as he could only to send it flying at Tom. Harry was able to get away with it a couple times with only a frown from Tom before the older teen finally gave in to Harry's playful attacks.

After the third time Harry splashed him, Tom finally reached down to splash right back.

A water war began between the two and it didn't end until both Tom had chased Harry down the beach and to an outcropping of rocks.

"Can't catch me Tom!"

"Harry! Don't climb up the rocks!"

It was too late for Tom to stop Harry from grabbing hold of the rocks and hauling himself up. He shimmied away from Tom's reaching hands which made the older teen huff in annoyance.

"If you want to stop me Tom," Harry called out as he made it to the top of the first boulder. He smirked down at Tom and wiggled his fingers at him. "You gotta climb."

With that said Harry turned towards the next boulder and started climbing up it as well.

With an annoyed huff Tom rolled up his sleeves and grabbed hold of the rock. Thankfully his greater height allowed him to scale the rocks faster than Harry. It helped that he used just a tiny bit of wandless magic to push himself up.

"That's cheating Tom!" Harry cried out with a pout when he felt Tom's magic rise up to lift the teen up onto the rocks. "I didn't use my magic."

"That's because your magic is still unbalanced from the venom." Tom pointed out as he used his magic to scale the next boulder at a faster rate.

Harry squeaked and turned to jump down from the boulder in an attempt to get away from Tom.

"Harry! Be careful!"

Tom's warning came too late as Harry's foot came down on a slick patch on the rock. Harry's foot went out from under him and he gasped in surprise as he slipped between two rocks and tumbled into the water.

"Harry!"

Harry felt himself being pulled under the water, but instead of being battered against the rocks he had just been climbing, he found himself being sucked down by a strong current.

Just as his lungs felt like they were burning in his chest the current calmed enough for Harry to start swimming. The water was dark and for a moment Harry floated in the water unsure of which way was up or down.

Just as he began to panic Harry felt something grab onto his arm and he was being hauled through the water.

With a loud gasp Harry broke the surface of the still pool of water that the ocean current had sucked Harry into.

"T-t-tom?"

Harry could feel a warm body next to him in the cold water. His voice echoed slightly and with how dark it was Harry could only assume they were in some sort of underwater cave.

"W-w-w-what were you th-th-thinking?!" Tom demanded as he sent his magic out with a wandless light spell so the two of them could see. "You c-c-c-could have d-d-d-died!"

As soon as Tom spotted the patch of dirt that was large enough for both he and Harry to crawl up onto he began swimming over to it. When Harry didn't at first follow, Tom reached over to drag him along.

"You know b-b-b-b-better than t-t-t-t-o run on r-r-r-rocks."

The cold was going to drive Tom insane so he whipped out his wand with numb fingers and cast a warming spell on both himself and Harry.

Harry's entire body had been shaking hard until the warming spell hit. He sighed in relief as the spells warmth surrounded him. The warmth was made even better as he felt the concerned and gentle caress from Tom's magic.

"I'm sorry Tom." Harry whispered as he used his own wand and cast his own spells to dry out his and Tom's clothes. "I just..." He bit his lip and looked away, guilt filling his eyes.

Tom sucked in his breath and his heart hurt in his chest at how dejected and upset Harry looked. "I know Harry. You were just playing...like we used to."

He reached out and pulled Harry to his chest in a tight hug. "Are you hurt?" Tom asked softly as he held onto Harry.

After taking a quick inventory of his body Harry shook his head. His ankle hurt a little bit, but he knew it was nothing more than bruised.

The two stood there for several long minutes, Harry burying his face into Tom's chest and clutching at his shirt while Tom rubbed his back comfortingly.

"Come on then." Tom murmured gently. "Let's find a way out of here." He glanced down at the water behind them. The current had been especially strong and he wasn't sure if he and Harry could swim through against it to get out.

Harry nodded and slowly let go of Tom's shirt.

Now that he was calmed down, dry, and warm Harry could feel something in the rock walls surrounding them.

The feeling was almost too soft for Harry to pick up on. He frowned in concentration before wandering away from Tom to place a hand flat against the rock.

"Harry?"

The smaller boy held up his hand to stop Tom so he could put all of his focus on the rocks.

"There's magic here." Harry whispered. He was almost afraid of speaking too loudly in case it broke the magic whisper he could feel beneath his hand. "It's...it's not weak, but I can barely feel it." His brows came together and his gaze was distant as he turned inward to try and figure out what he was feeling.

After a few minutes he pulled his hand away slowly. "It feels like it's sleeping."

If Harry could barely feel the magic around them then Tom would definitely not be able to pick up on it.

"Come on Harry." Even if he couldn't feel the magic, Tom was picking up on the stillness around them. His instincts were on high alert as he took Harry's hand and pulled him away from the cave wall.

The light that Tom was casting only went so far back into the cavern that was further away from the water. It was also the only direction they could go in since the current would be too strong for them to swim against.

Then again Tom could try and think of a few spells that could get them past the strong current. But if there was sleeping magic around them any strong magic he himself did might awaken it. They'd been lucky that the warming, drying, and light spells hadn't done anything.

"If we don't get back by lunch I'm sure mother and father will come find us." Harry offered up hopefully. His voice was still soft, but he didn't seem all that upset with how things were.

"There is that."

Still Tom didn't want to risk being in an unknown place with unknown magic for any longer than they had to be.

"Let's try to find a way out."

To make sure Harry didn't wander away from him, Tom held onto Harry's hand as they slowly walked deeper into the cavern.

"The magic is stronger back there." Harry whispered after several long minutes of the two friends walking deeper and deeper into the cavern. Other than Harry's soft words the only sound that either boy could catch was the soft dripping of water echoing off of the rock walls.

Harry started yawning suddenly and he shook his head to try and clear the sleepiness that had settled on his mind. His feet caught on the uneven ground and he stumbled into Tom's side.

"Harry?"

Before Harry could respond he felt Tom's arms go around hims shoulders and under his behind. The tiredness Harry had felt fled momentarily as he was lifted up into Tom's arms.

"Tom! Whaaaat are you doing?" Harry demanded as his cheeks flushed with heat and color. His arms went around Tom's neck and shoulders to help keep his balance.

Tom huffed softly and adjusted his arms so that Harry's legs were forced to wrap around his waist. "I'm carrying you. You're exhausted and likely to hurt yourself if you keep walking on your own."

"I'm not exhausted!" Harry's voice lifted in volume a little before he quickly forced himself to go back to whispering. "I just feel...really tired..." Sure enough the tiredness returned now that the sudden rush of adrenaline passed.

"That's what exhaustion does Harry." Tom made a face at his young friend.

Harry stuck his tongue out at Tom and shook his head to clear the fuzzy feeling that was trying to wrap around his mind. "No...no this isn't that." Harry yawned and reached up to rub his eyes slowly and weakly.

Tom frowned as Harry began to mumble and twitch. Harry had fallen asleep rather quickly in his arms; itt was almost like he had succumbed to a spell or potion.

With wide eyes Tom hurried back a few steps. He couldn't feel what was going on, but Harry's sensitivity was probably picking up on the sleeping magic around them.

"Harry! Harry wake up!" Tom jostled the younger boy in his arms until finally Harry twitched and lifted his head from where it had fallen against Tom's shoulder. Tom let out a sigh of relief as Harry looked around and woke up a little more.

"-'s it lunch yet?" Harry asked as he rubbed at his eyes again. He was starting to nod off again only to yelp when one of his legs was pinched. "Why'd you do that?!"

"You need to stay awake." Tom insisted hurriedly. "You said it felt like the magic was sleeping here right?" After Harry nodded Tom continued. "I don't know why it's asleep, but it's making you fall asleep too."

Tom was starting to feel panicky. He and Harry were stuck in some unknown underwater cavern with strange magic around them that was asleep. With Harry's sensitivity he was being affected by the magic and there was nothing Tom could do.

"Focus on me. Only on me Harry." Tom told the younger boy as he started forward again.

They had no choice but to continue forward. There was no way out behind them and Tom had no idea how long it would be before the adults came looking for them.

"Mkay Tom." Harry yawned and nuzzled up against Tom's neck.

"Talk to me Harry. Stay awake."

"Did I ever tell you that your magic feels really smooth and soft. Like silk. Or Senestra's scales?" Harry mumbled tiredly as he struggled to stay awake. "But warm. Like...like being under a thick blanket."

"I think you've told me that." Tom cursed as the darkness just beyond his light seemed to go on forever.

"It's green too. Deep green." Harry babbled as he focused more and more on Tom's magic. The tiredness that had settled over Harry's mind and limbs was starting to recede the more he focused on Tom. "Slytherin green."

"Makes sense since I am the heir of Slytherin." Tom was only partially paying attention to the conversation. Now that they were deeper in the cavern Tom was starting to pick up on a foreign magic.

"It's got black squiggles too. Like snakes or vines threading through the green."

"Snakes are good."

"Yeah." Harry sat up and looked around. "Tom...Stop..."

Tom halted immediately at Harry's command.

It was a good thing Tom had stopped, otherwise he and Harry would have gone headlong into a large underground lake that was so dark his light spell barely reflected off of it. The liquid almost didn't look like water at all and seemed to absorb Tom's light.

"It's waking up."

Tom felt a shudder of fear role through him and he held onto Harry as every protective instinct he had flared up.

Harry on the other hand relaxed completely against Tom. He started humming softly and nuzzled against Tom's neck. "It's ok Tom. I don't think it's bad."

Now that the magic was waking up Harry could get a better feel for the magic around them.

"It kind of feels like the nature spirits back home."

As the magic grew stronger and more active Harry started to feel sick. The power that was around them was strong enough to start overloading his senses.

"Focus on me Harry." Tom reminded the younger teen as he held him close. "Focus on my magic."

"I-I'm trying." Harry was panting by that point as the magic became strong enough for even Tom to feel. This was different from the magic that was at Hogwarts. The magic in the old castle was passive and didn't interact with the people within. The magic in the cave though was pressing against Harry as if trying to get his attention.

"Tooom." Harry groaned as the magic began pressing harder against him. It became more insistent the more Harry tried to block it out. "I'm gonna be sick." His world was starting to tilt and spin as the mental barrier Harry had built up began cracking.

And then everything became still.

"Harry?"

 _"A child of lions, a child of snakes, a bond made that will not break._

 _Houses 4 joined as one, a battle through time hard won._

 _A child of lions, a child of snakes, masters both a new future they make._ "

The voice that came from Harry was and wasn't the young pre-teens and it sent a shiver down Tom's spine.

Harry repeated himself several times before he went completely limp in Tom's arms. His breathing was relaxed and his heart rate was even and gentle. It was as if the boy had fallen asleep hours ago.

The magic that had been pressing in on the two boys pulled slowly away. The water in the lake rippled slightly before settling back down. If it weren't for the facts the hairs on Tom's arms were standing on end he would have been hard pressed to admit something had happened.

"What now..." Tom mumbled, his fear and worry tinting his voice as he took a hesitant step back away from the lake. Harry was unresponsive despite the pinches Tom was giving him and the light from Tom's spell was dimming as if being drained of power.

"Damn! Damn it!" He swore angrily as his light went completely out and refused to come back no matter how many times Tom cast the spell wandlessly. With his arms full of Harry he couldn't exactly grab his wand and cast it that way.

Tom's swearing tapered off when something glittered out over the water. He eyed the glittering warily and slowly moved a foot behind him in case he needed to make a run for it. He knew the bubble head charm and braving the harsh current of the ocean was looking like a better plan with each passing second.

The glittering grew stronger and as it came closer Tom found that the glittering was actually just below the surface of the water.

"Harry, wake up." Tom begged as he stepped back once more.

"-is fine Tom." Harry mumbled almost too quietly to be heard. He weakly gave Tom's shoulders a hug before he became dead weight again.

Tom wished he could believe Harry, but he was naturally paranoid and that glittering light beneath the water could be a kelpie for all he knew. Or a will-o-wisp.

The moment the glittering came up out of the water Tom could be ensnared by it's thrall.

"Tom...safe..." Those words came from Harry as a sigh and Tom couldn't help but shiver as Harry's warm breath ghosted over the shell of Tom's ear.

Finally the glittering came to the edge of the lake. Tom watched with equal measures of fascination and trepidation as the glittering object lifted up out of the water without even a ripple or splash.

The glittering was coming from a sphere of soft eerie light that filled the entire cavern and yet the light was like nothing Tom had ever seen before; it definitely didn't act like light nor did it cast any shadows.

 _"Calm."_

Tom was rooted to the ground and his legs refused to move as the ball of not light floated towards him and Harry. Even his magic refused to rise up in defense as Harry's calmness stopped Tom's instinct to fight.

The magic had to have been controlling Harry! And through Harry it was controlling Tom! It was the only explanation the teenager had for how he couldn't even look away from the light.

Even when the light was less than an inch from his face Tom could not look away. He wanted so desperately to run, to carry Harry far away from what Tom was sure was a threat, and yet he couldn't. Harry kept whispering that everything was fine even in his deep state of sleep.

The light stopped just before it touched Tom and hovered there. With it being so close Tom could have sworn the light was vibrating almost.

It began to swing side to side slowly in front of Tom before it began to float away towards the side of the cavern.

Tom was hit with the intense understanding that the light wanted him to follow it. He was almost positive the creature was a will-o-wisp.

"-s spirit." Harry was starting to come too, but he had yet to lift his head from Tom's shoulder. His breathing was stronger though and his arms had moved from hanging limply to wrap around Tom's shoulders again. "Nature spirit."

That...that _light_ was a nature spirit? Tom eyed it warily as the light stopped several feet away in order to swing from side to side again. Harry had described nature spirits in the past, but Tom hadn't expected it to look like that.

But if it really was a nature spirit then it wouldn't try to lead them to their deaths; at least that's what Tom was hoping.

With hesitant and wary steps Tom began to follow the light as it began moving again. It led them to a strange crevice that was practically invisible unless a person knew to look for it from a certain angle. The light darted into the crevice before coming back out again when Tom hesitated.

With a huff of annoyance, he felt like the light was laughing at him as it danced in the air, Tom followed once more.

The passageway was tight, almost too tight for Tom to safely carry Harry, but after awhile Tom noticed that the light that was growing was coming from an outside source and not the nature spirit that was guiding them.

Tom blinked in pain and squinted hard when he stumbled around a sharp corner and squeezed through a narrow gap between the the rock wall and a huge boulder that was leaning against the wall.

They were out!

Harry yawned widely and rubbed at his eyes as he made grumbling noises and whimpered softly at the bright light.

"What happened?" He asked as he leaned back a little from Tom so he could look around.

"You don't remember?"

The only response he got was a shake of Harry's head before the boy frowned in confusion. His mouth worked as if he were trying to form words before he shook his head again. "I remember a voice. Several voices and they were all speaking at once. But...but it felt like a dream."

"There you boys are!"

Tom didn't get a chance to respond as he spotted Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy hurrying towards them. It had felt like Tom and Harry had been in that cavern for hours, but it came as a surprise for Tom when in reality they had been gone for a little less than an hour.

"You two ready for lunch?"

By the time the group made it back to the picnic blanket Harry was completely awake and talking happily about how he and Tom had played in the water and had chased each other. Tom quickly noticed how Harry avoided talking about the cavern and when green eyes met black Tom got the feeling he shouldn't mention the experience either.

Tom had yet something else to research when he made it back to Hogwarts.

* * *

Special thanks to: Louise to, Maurey, Deb

A/N: Remember I post new chapters on Mondays! Check out my tumblr (ethrildragon) for info on future chapters and to keep yourself updated on what's going on!


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own it. Anyone want to buy the rights to HP for me?

A/N: *is cackling excessively*

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 22: Return to Hogwarts

"I thought the healer said Harry wasn't a seer."

One of the first things Tom had done as soon as they had made it back to Malfoy manor was send a letter to Abraxas with the request that Abraxas start looking into a few things. Tom hadn't put too many details in the letter, in case the letter was intercepted, but he put just enough in so his adopted brother would know how important the request was.

So when Tom and Harry returned to Hogwarts the following Sunday Abraxas had already pulled as many books on prophecies, seers, nature spirits, and magical sensitivity as he could find. He had even convinced Slughorn to give him access to the restricted section.

"He's not." Tom was reading through one of the books Abraxas had handed him. "He's sensitive. I don't

think the prophecy came from him."

In fact Tom was positive the prophecy had been a product of the magic that had overwhelmed Harry. Sometimes Harry did have prophetic dreams, but only when Harry had been exposed to a large amount of magic.

Tom was surprised Harry didn't have more prophetic dreams what with him being at Hogwarts.

"It's pretty obvious the prophecy is about Hogwarts." Abraxas and Tom had had this conversation several times in the last few hours. "And about you two. I mean you two have an unbreakable bond now so that part of the prophecy is true."

Tom rolled his eyes as Abraxas began going over what they already knew again.

They'd already established that there were several types of prophecies. The self fulfilling ones, the unbreakable ones, and the ones that could have multiple meanings.

They were sure the prophecy Harry had been an unbreakable one since the 'bond made that will not break' had already happened.

Not to mention the whole 'battle through time'. Harry was a time traveler even if he was anchored to the past.

But what really confused Tom was the whole part about them being masters and making a new future. The future wasn't something that was easily changed. Harry had traveled back and forth for years and nothing obvious had changed.

Which brought up the entire argument that everything was meant to happen and that their futures were predetermined. Which would contradict the prophecy.

Tom groaned and he rubbed at his temples as a headache formed. Time travel was such a confusing and convoluted subject and full of so many theories that it might as well not exist with how little was actually known.

"Let's put the prophecy aside for now." Abraxas set the scroll he had been reading down so he could pick up an old map. "I really think we need to know more about the lake you found."

Tom wanted to curse at Abraxas. The last thing he wanted to talk about was the lake. The entire experience had shaken Tom and he had, once again, been reminded that there were forces in the world well outside his control.

He needed to get stronger.

He needed to know more.

"Certain locations are hot spots for ancient magic. In ancient Greece there was a temple built around a spring that was said to give prophetic visions." Abraxas grabbed a book and searched through the pages until he found what he was looking for.

"The oracle of Delphi." Tom glanced at the book Abraxas was holding out to him.

"You think this lake was like that?" Tom asked with an arch of his brow.

With a huff Abraxas set the book down. "I don't know. You said Harry didn't drink the water. There was no steam or fumes?" The Malfoy heir desperately wished he had been there to have witnessed everything with his own eyes.

Tom shook his head as he reached over to turn the page of the book Abraxas had set down. "No. It was cold. Dry."

Abraxas considered Tom's answer for a moment. "And a nature spirit came up out of the lake?"

"Yes Abraxas. It came out of the lake and led us out of the cavern." He'd told Abraxas the story at least a dozen times by then and Tom could feel his patience snapping.

His adopted brother didn't seem to notice Tom snapping at him or his degrading control of his patience.

"It...it could be a magical nexus then." Abraxas chewed at his lip for a moment before picking up yet another book to search through it. "Like the lake surrounding Avalon. There's just so much magic there that it messes with time and space."

"Whatever it is I'm not likely to go back anytime soon." Tom hissed as he glared at the the book Abraxas was trying to show him.

What Tom wanted to know was how he was going to protect Harry. After what had happened at the lake Harry's sensitivity to magic had grown exponentially.

Harry had almost passed out when they'd made it back to Hogwarts and he was currently resting in the hospital wing.

"Tom." Abraxas sighed softly and closed the book quietly. "Whatever is going on, we'll get past it."

The Malfoy heir was well meaning and Tom knew that, but it didn't stop Tom from wanting to snap and snarl at his adopted brother.

Tom needed to vent some of the tension in him, but how?

"I'm going to the Room. Send for me if Harry needs me." Tom ordered as he stood up and left Abraxas behind in their dorm room. He didn't even bother to see if Abraxas had accepted the command or not.

The younger students that were the common room quickly scattered when Tom made an appearance. His expression was calm, but everyone could feel his magic swirling in agitation around him in the air. Tom's followers, the ones that were present, quickly lowered their eyes in submission and respect.

The Slytherin students let out a collective sigh of relief when Tom was gone and the entrance to the common room had closed.

"What the bloody hell happened while he was gone for a week?" One of Tom's followers asked Alf, the only person from Tom's inner circle currently in the common room.

Alf shrugged and pretended to not care about what was going on. "It is not our concern Avery. If we need to know what's going on, Tom will tell us."

Tom was their leader and he was a bloody good one in Alf's opinion. The man was almost always composed, he was terribly intelligent, his aspirations were phenomenal, and it didn't hurt that he was quite handsome and charming. Alf was sure Tom Gaunt would be an important figure in the future.

And Alf would make sure to be right next to Tom as the man ascended to his rightful place of power in their society.

Avery huffed at Alf's response and when Abraxas joined the group he quickly jumped at the Malfoy heir to try and get answers. Alf just shook his head and rolled his eyes. Abraxas was Tom's second in command and would never let any information slip.

After casting a quick tempus, Alf stood up and stretched. "I'm going up to the hospital wing to see how Hadrian is doing." Which was code for it being Alf's turn to watch over the young Malfoy boy. "Maybe his trunk should be moved up there with how often Hadrian has been there."

That at least got a chuckle out of Abraxas.

"Don't let Tom or Hadrian hear you say that." Abraxas warned as Alf made his way out of the common room.

Alf hummed softly and walked at a leisurely pace as he went up the stairs leading out of the dungeons.

Since it was Sunday there weren't many students wandering the halls, but whenever Alf did pass someone he would smile charmingly and offer a friendly wave. If he'd had time he would have stopped to listen for any gossip, but he had his duties to attend to.

"Hello smallest Malfoy!" Alf said loudly and happily as he walked right into the hospital wing and over to the only currently occupied cot.

"I'm not that small!"

"You're smaller than both of your brothers." Alf pointed out as he took the seat that Lestrange was giving up to him. "Thus you are the smallest Malfoy."

Harry smirked a little at that. "I guess..." he couldn't really argue with that logic since it was true.

Out of everyone in Tom's group, outside of Tom and Abraxas, Harry got along with Alf the best. The older teen was easy to talk to and always had the most interesting things to talk about. The way he spoke made even the most boring subject, like history, sound interesting and Harry often went to Alf for help when it came to history of magic.

"So what's the problem this time littlest Malfoy?" Alf asked with a sympathetic pout. "Did Peeves drop something on you?"

Harry glared at Alf before reaching over to shove at his shoulder. "I'm not here by choice! I feel fine!"

"Uh huh. Which is why Tom is about ready to rip someones head off and Abraxas looks down right gloomy."

For a moment Harry squirmed on his cot. "Is Tom really that upset?"

Since his dizzy spell earlier Sir Leighleas had decided to place a dampening charm on Harry to negate some of his sensitivity. It wasn't a long term solution, but it gave Harry time to recover for a few hours until the mediwizard could come up with something better.

The problem for Harry was that the spell made it difficult for him to really pick up on Tom's emotions. He could still feel them, but it was like Tom was really far away and underwater.

"He's just worried about you. You are quite fragile you know."

"Shut up!"

Alf found himself with a pillow in his face almost as soon as his comment was made.

"That's a good thing though!" He insisted with a laugh as he attempted to block the pillow attack. "A princess like you should be fragile!"

"I'm not- What- shut up!" Harry couldn't seem to get the right words out so instead he whipped out his wand and used the simple levitation spell he'd learned years ago to send almost every pillow in the hospital wing right at Alf.

Alf was laughing hysterically and was using his wand to try and deflect as many of the pillows as he could. This show of magical prowess wasn't exactly unknown to Alf as he'd seen Harry do some amazing things already. "I'm sorry Princess Malfoy! Did I offend your sensitive nature?"

"You're horrible Mulciber!" Despite Harry attacking Alf with the pillows he wasn't actually mad. Harry felt good using his magic and acting like the kid he was. "Stop calling me a princess!"

"As your highness commands!"

"Stop it!"

"I didn't call you princess; I called you your high-" Alf found himself buried under a mountain of pillows.

"What is going on in here?!"

The pillows came to a stop and the ones that hadn't covered Alf fell to the ground from where they had been flying through the air.

"Hadrian Malfoy! I told you not to use your magic unless absolutely necessary!" Sir Leighleas stormed over to Harry's bed, flicking his wand as he went. Soon every pillow was back in place and Alf was free from the mountain Harry had encased him in.

"I'm sorry Sir Leighleas." Harry mumbled as he hung his head. His hair fell into his face and hid the smirk that Harry was having a hard time wiping away.

"As for you!" Alf pointed his wand tip right at Alf and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "You will stop antagonizing my patient or you will leave my hospital wing immediately."

Alf lifted his hands up to ward of any attack. "I'll behave sir."

Sir Leighleas eyed Alf for a moment longer before he huffed and sheathed his wand.

"Now Hadrian," Sir Leighleas turned back to Harry. "I think I have found a solution, but I won't be sure for another couple days."

Harry groaned softly at that. "Am I going to be stuck here until then?"

The pleading look in Harry's eyes had Sir Leighleas smiling almost fondly. "Only if you do not want the dampening spell staying on you."

"I'll live with the dampening spell." As much as Harry hated not being able to feel Tom's magic or emotions as strongly as he normally did, it was better than staying cooped up in the hospital wing again.

Sir Leighleas nodded and quickly recast the dampening spell just to make sure it would hold. "I'll send for you when I have my results." The mediwizard was almost tempted to drag things out with how fidgety Harry was on his cot. "You can go."

As soon as the words were said, Harry was up and rushing out of the hospital wing as fast as his feet could carry him.

"I'll keep him out of trouble Sir Leighleas." Alf winked and grinned up at the tall mediwizard as he backed up out of the hospital wing to follow after Harry.

"See that you do."

Much to Alf's relief Harry was waiting for him just outside of the hospital wing.

"You're something else you know that?" Alf said with a grin as he and Harry started the long walk back to the Slytherin dorms.

"What do you mean?"

Alf rubbed the back of his head for a moment in thought. "You were able to levitate all those pillows, at once, even with a dampening spell on you. I know quite a few adults that can't even do that."

It sounded like a compliment, but Harry couldn't be sure. He rubbed at his arm and bit at his lip. What was he supposed to say? Alf didn't know that he'd been practicing magic for years nor did he know much about Harry's sensitivity.

Everyone knew that Harry was sensitive to magic, but they had no idea just how strongly magic could affect him.

"Hey now. No biting your lip like that." Alf bumped at Harry playfully. "Tom will get the wrong idea!"

"Wrong idea?"

Alf could only smirk in response and wiggle his eyebrows suggestively which made Harry roll his eyes and frown at the older Slytherin.

"Ah. So young. So innocent."

That comment Harry had no problem understanding! Alf was making fun of him for being a kid. It left him grumbling and kicking at the ground every time they had to stop.

"Where's Tom?" Harry asked suddenly.

"I imagine he's up in the Room. He practically stormed out of the common room."

As dim as the feeling was, Harry could feel Tom's magic flaring out as if he were attacking something. It worried Harry. They'd had a great weak just relaxing and spending time together, not including the whole incident at the beach, and Harry didn't want all that ruined just because he'd had a dizzy fit.

So Harry made a decision and spun around on his heal to head for the stairs that would take him up to the seventh floor.

"You sure you want to do that?" Alf knew exactly where Harry was going. "I'm sure both Tom and Abraxas would prefer if you just went back to the common room. Orion and Eileen would like to see you." He hoped the mention of Harry's two friends would be enough to deter the young Slytherin from his quest to find Tom.

"I'll see them at dinner." As much as Harry wanted to be with his friends, he had made a promise to himself to always put Tom first. He cared about his friends, but Tom needed him more.

With a heavy sigh and a shake of his head, Alf followed after Harry. If he didn't stick with Harry and let him wander around on his own, Tom would have his hide.

Thankfully Harry didn't seem to object to Alf sticking with him.

They made it up to the 7th floor without any problems only for the two to be stopped by the one teacher that every Slytherin student seemed to loath.

"Hadrian my boy! What brings you up here?"

Even with the dampening spell Harry still felt the murky, sticky, gross feeling that Dumbledore always gave off that made him feel like he needed a long shower.

"I thought I would see Professor Mulberry about my homework for the last week." Harry wasn't a Slytherin for nothing. "Tom helped me, but I just want to make sure I have the spells right."

Alf was impressed by Harry's smooth answer; he didn't even hesitate or fidget under Dumbeldore's twinkling gaze.

"It's always such a relief when a student puts such care into their work." Dumbledore smiled warmly, which only made Harry want to shiver in disgust. "Is something wrong my boy? I can't put my feeling on it, but something seems off."

"I'm still recovering from the acromantula venom. Sir Leighleas believes I'm allergic and it's taking longer than normal for the venom to stop messing with my magic."

Harry would need to make it a point to speak with Sir Leighleas about this. Even if most of the professors knew a little about Harry's sensitivity, which had been unavoidable as they got to know Harry better over the past few months, Harry wanted to keep the information about how strong his sensitivity was a secret.

The mediwizard had been good about not saying too much after Harry, Tom, and Mrs. Malfoy had requested discretion.

"Ah. That would explain it." Dumbledore's smile turned into a worried frown. "Be sure to take care of yourself Hadrian. We wouldn't want you collapsing due to stress or strain on your magic."

"I'll be careful Professor, I promise." Harry put as much of his boyish charm into a smile as he could all the while feeling like he was being covered in squirmy slimy leaches.

"That's why I'm here Professor." Alf cut in smoothly. He really disliked how focused Dumbledore was on Harry. "I promised Sir Leighleas I'd keep Malfoy out of trouble."

Dumbledore's smile seemed a little strained and his right hand twitched ever so slightly as if he wanted to send Alf away.

"If you'll excuse us professor." Alf quickly put a hand on Harry's shoulder to steer him away from the transfiguration professor to head down the hall. They wouldn't be able to sneak into the Room right away, seeing as how Dumbledore would probably follow them, but Alf wasn't going to let the man be alone with Harry for any length of time.

"Oh, Hadrian," Dumbledore reached out to stop the two Slytherin students before they could get far. "Come by my office before dinner if you would. I just want to make sure you understand last weeks work." His smile was warm and his eyes twinkled a bit.

"Yes professor."

Thankfully Alf's fear that Dumbledore would follow after them came to nothing. As soon as Harry nodded, the older man had smiled and turned on his heel to leave.

Just to be on the safe side Alf and Harry did go over to Professor Mulberry's classroom. The man wasn't there so as soon as Alf double checked to make sure they weren't being watched he and Harry made for the Room of Requirement.

"Tom!" The moment the door opened Harry was happy to see the old training room that he had spent Tom's first few years in.

There were several destroyed dummies to one side of the room which Harry promptly ignored to go over and give Tom a hug.

The dampening spell was messing with Harry's perception of Tom's magic and emotions and the only thing that seemed to make it better was to be close to Tom.

Tom's free arm went around Harry as soon as the smaller boy was clamped onto him. "Feeling better?" He asked with a deep frown.

For the last several hours Tom had felt as if something were off and now that Harry was next to him he couldn't shake that feeling. Harry's magic didn't feel weaker at all; it was more like it was muted.

"Sir Leighleas put a dampening spell on me." Harry explained when he saw the concerned frown on Tom's lips. "He's going to try to come up with something else, but at least this way the school's magic doesn't overwhelm me again."

"Tom..."

Alf had taken to leaning against the wall next to the door. He normally would have said 'my Lord', but Tom preferred people not call him that in front of Harry. Since Alf was in his inner circle he had been given permission to use his first name.

"Dumbledore was on this floor. I'm not sure...but I think he may have been looking for you. He seemed awfully interested in Hadrian as well."

A soft growl left Tom and he held onto Harry tighter. "That meddling old man is wearing out my patience." He could feel Harry nodding against his chest.

"He wants me to stop by his office before dinner."

"You will do no such thing." Tom snarled a bit at the very idea of Harry being anywhere near Dumbledore.

In retrospect Tom's animosity towards Dumbledore was strange, Tom could admit to that, but there was just something about him that set every one of his instincts off. The man hadn't actually done anything to antagonize Tom, other than using the wrong surname, and there had been times when the old professor had seemed to actually care.

And yet the way Dumbledore favored the Gryffindor students, docked points from Slytherin students, subtly controlled the muggle born children, and how he just seemed to show up as if he knew where Tom was were all negative signs for Tom.

"I do believe I want to have a talk with Sir Leighleas before dinner, and I would like you to be there with me Harry."

"I do feel a little light headed. Maybe the dampening spell didn't take." It wasn't true, but Harry wasn't about to argue over this.

Tom nodded and his shoulders relaxed a little. "That's settled then."

* * *

Not far from Hogwarts, in the little village of Hogsmeade, the professor that had Tom on edge was making his way to a rather shabby house near the edge of the village.

"Rubeus?" Dumbledore called out the name lightly as he rapped his knuckles against the front door.

There was a loud thumping sound coming from within the house and a few minutes after Dumbledore had knocked, the door was slowly opened.

Just within the door was the half-giant boy that had been expelled for what the acromantula had done. His eyes were red and puffy from crying and his hands were shaking a bit as he opened the door.

"Professor..."

The door was opened the rest of the way to allow Dumbledore entrance.

"My dear boy, I am so sorry for what has happened." Dumbledore cooed gently as he stepped into the shabby house and gave the half-giant boy a small hug. "I gave your father my word I'd protect you, and I have failed." His own blue eyes glittered with tears and his head hung a bit in guilt.

"No professor!" Hagrid quickly cried out. "It was my own fault! I shouldn't have kept Aragog in the school, but I...I didn't know where to keep him." The dungeons had seemed like the best place at the time since they were only ever frequented by Slytherins and the only classes that were in the dungeons were potion classes.

"Is...Is Hadrian alright?" Hagrid asked nervously. He had felt immensely guilty when the older Gryffindor students had forced him to stand guard as they beat the young Slytherin. When Aragog had gotten lose and attacked Hadrian, Hagrid had taken full responsibility.

The fact that the youngest Malfoy had argued for leniency for Hagrid had left the half-giant feeling in debt to Hadrian.

"He had an allergic reaction to the acromantula venom." Dumbledore gently led Hagrid to the worn down couch in the small living room. "His magic is slowly recovering."

"I'm so sorry!" Hagrid burst into tears again and he sobbed loudly. He blubbered on like that for some time before he took the handkerchief that Dumbledore held out to him to wipe his eyes.

"What am I going to do now professor? With my da gone and with me being expelled..." His father had left him a little money, but not enough to live on for the next few years until he turned 17 and could get his wand back.

"Oh Hagrid," Dumbledore reached out and gave Hagrid a gentle semi-hug. "I will do all I can to help you." He smiled gently as the half-giant turned his big watery eyes to look at Dumbledore. Those eyes were filled with so much hope that it left Dumbledore feeling powerful.

Dumbledore had turned quite a few students into his minions over the years, but Hagrid would be one of the most loyal after this.

"I will speak with Headmaster Dippet. There is a chance that I can get you a job as the Groundskeeper's apprentice."

"Really Professor Dumbledore?" Hagrid's lip trembled as the fear and sadness he had been feeling was replaced with relief and hope. "You would do that for me?"

Using all of his charm and making his eyes as kind and warm as he could, Dumbledore smiled and nodded. "It is the least I can do my boy. I could not in good conscious leave you out in the cold like those on the board have done." Dumbledore squeezed Hagrid's shoulder gently. "I just ask one thing of you."

"Anything Professor!"

Dumbledore had to fight down the urge to smirk at how quickly the half-giant gave in without even knowing what the request was.

"I need you to swear you will help me in protecting and watching over Hadrian Malfoy. I fear his life may be in danger."

Hagrid gasped loudly and he nodded quickly. "Of course! I'll do anything to help Hadrian!" In his heart he felt he owed the young Malfoy a life debt. If not for him Hagrid's wand would have been snapped instead of being taken away.

"Very good Hagrid. Now," With that Dumbledore stood up from the couch. "I must return to Hogwarts. Here is some pocket money for groceries. I will be in touch soon."

"You're too good to me Professor!" Hagrid was crying again as he accepted the small pouch of coins that Dumbledore handed to him.

"Nonsense my boy," Dumbledore purred as he pat Hagrid's shoulder once more. "You're a good lad that deserves better."

It took a little effort to get free from Hagrid's sudden embrace, but eventually Dumbledore was able to get back outside. He quickly hurried back through Hogsmeade to get back to Hogwarts, all the while smirking in victory.

With Hagrid as his puppet he would be able to get closer to Hadrian. Merlin knew the Malfoy boy had too soft of a heart and wouldn't turn away a poor unfortunate soul like Hagrid.

Yes. Dumbledore would get closer to Hadrian Malfoy. He would find out what it was the boy was hiding and why the boy's magic had such a magnetic quality to it that just called to Dumbledore like a siren song.

And if he couldn't turn Hadrian Malfoy to his side? Well...accidents happened all the time.

* * *

Special Thanks to: Louise to, Maurey, and Deb

A/N: I update RTT every monday! Check out my tumblr (ethrildragon) for updates and future info.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I do not own HP

A/N: I actually worked on the last part of this chapter during a live stream. I have live streams on Wednesdays and Sunday. Make sure to check out my tumblr: ethrildragon, for more information.

Reminder that this story is updated every Monday.

Edit: Someone pointed out that at this point Dumbledore wouldn't really be at a "grandfatherly" age. I disagree. He was born in 1881 so by now he'd be in his 60's. The average live expectancy in the 1940's was in the late 60's. Even accounting for the 'magical' aspect of aging (as in anyone with magic live a hell of a lot longer) he'd still look aged. With graying hair and wrinkles. Especially since Dumbledore is under a lot of stress with the war.

In conclusion: I stand by how I describe Dumbledore.

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 23: First Step

"Sir Leighleas?"

After talking for a little while, mostly to kill time in the Room, Tom and Harry made their way to the Hospital wing for the second time that day. Alf on the other hand decided to go back to the Common Room of their dorm to give Abraxas an update on what was going on.

The problem they were now facing was that Sir Leighleas was not in the patient room nor was he answering to his name being called out.

Tom shrugged a bit when Harry looked to him in confusion.

"Do you think he's already down for dinner?" Harry asked as they wandered farther into the hospital wing towards the door to Sir Leighleas' office.

Again Tom shrugged. He had no idea where the mediwizard was, but they needed a plausible excuse for not visiting Dumbledore.

"Sir Leighleas?" Harry called out as he knocked on the mediwizard's office door. The moment his hand came into contact with the door Harry felt some sort of subtle shielding spell meant to keep people out.

Harry pressed his hand flat against the door and frowned at it. Why would the mediwizard lock his office and put up a shield to keep people out? The mediwizard was supposed to be available at all times in case of an emergency.

"I don't like this." Harry murmured a little. The magic under his hands felt like little sparks of electricity, which was what Sir Leighleas' magic always felt like. "Maybe he's in trouble?"

With the dampening spell on, Harry was having a hard time looking past the shield spell to figure out if Sir Leighleas was alright.

"Should we-"

Before Harry could even finish the question the door was yanked open and Harry fell forward a little. His hand landed on Sir Leighleas' chest. The mediwizard raised a brow at Harry making the young Slytherin flush, stammer an apologize, and pull back.

"Can I help you gentlemen?"

There was a privacy screen spell directly behind Sir Leighleas, but Harry could see two blurry shapes through the screen.

Sir Leighleas glanced from Harry to the screen behind him. "Is something wrong?" He asked as he blocked the shapes from Harry's view.

"Oh, uh," Harry blinked and rubbed at his head. "I was light headed earlier."

"The dampening spell might be a little too strong." Tom offered up when Harry stumbled over his answer.

With a sigh Sir Leighleas closed the door to his office and ushered Harry over to one of the cots. "Let me take a look." He pulled out his wand and lightly waved it over Harry, frowning a little as he did so. "I suppose the spell could be a bit too strong." He didn't actually see anything wrong with the dampening spell, but he'd cater to Harry if the boy really was uncomfortable.

Sir Leighleas muttered under his breath for a moment and slowly weakened the dampening spell. He only stopped when he heard Harry sigh softly.

"If you have any more trouble please come back." The mediwizard told both Harry and Tom before turning to hurry back to his office.

"Sir Leighleas?"

The man almost sighed in irritation, but he turned his head to look back at Harry.

"Thank you sir."

That softened the mediwizard's expression and he nodded. "I'm almost done with this meeting. If you would like to wait I can accompany you to dinner."

Both boys seemed relieved with this offer, although Tom was harder to read, so Sir Leighleas left them alone for the time being.

It only took a few more minutes before the door to Sir Leighleas' office opened and the mediwizard came back out. Behind him was an older woman whose dark brown hair had been pulled back into a tight bun. She wore official looking formal robes and was carrying a satchel on one shoulder.

"Myrtle?" Harry jumped off of the cot he had been sitting on when the young Ravenclaw student came out last from Sir Leighleas' office.

"Oh. Hi Harry." Myrtle smiled ever so slightly and she rubbed at her red puffy eyes.

The strange woman and Sir Leighleas went off to the side to speak quietly with each other for a moment while Harry went over to Myrtle worriedly.

"Are you ok Myrtle?"

For a moment Myrtle was silent before she shrugged. "She just wanted to know more about my dad." She whispered softly so that the adults wouldn't really hear.

 _'The interviews!'_ Tom thought quickly as he looked over to the woman. Now that he was looking at her more closely he recognized the ministry robes. He should have remembered that the interviews would still be going on.

He wondered though when he and Harry would be called in for a meeting. Even though they'd been adopted they had still suffered under the care of muggles. Their testimonies would be useful towards the laws that their father wanted to put into place.

"Are we all ready for dinner?" Sir Leighleas asked once the woman was gone.

Myrtle was still a little shaky from her interview with the ministry woman, but the group made it down to dinner without any problems.

The moment they walked into the great hall though Harry felt an oppressing surge of murky magic. Someone was angry. Angry enough that even with the dampening spell Harry could feel how it riled up the person's magic.

It didn't take a genius to figure out who it was as Tom looked up sharply at the staff table and spotted Dumbledore glaring at them.

"If you would be open to it," Tom's gaze shifted from Dumbledore to Sir Leighleas. The man wasn't looking at Tom, but at Dumbledore. "I think we should have a talk. The three of us." With that the mediwizard's eyes flickered to Harry and then to Tom.

A subtle nod was all it took from Tom before Sir Leighleas walked away.

"Tom...I'm not feeling well."

"Focus on me Harry." Tom whispered as he gently led the younger Slytherin to their table. He flared out his magic in order to wrap Harry in a protective cocoon. It seemed to help as Harry relaxed in his seat between Tom and Abraxas.

It took a few more minutes before Harry was stable enough to join in with the conversations around him. Eileen did her best to restrain Orion from being obnoxious, but there was only so much the Prince girl could do.

"I wonder what's going on with the interviews?"

Tom was only partially paying attention to the younger students at that point.

"No idea. I mean no one even knows who's being interviewed at this point."

Gossip was being spread among the students quietly and swiftly. As the students talked about the interviews, several students seemed to flinch and pull away. It was easy for Tom to notice, but the majority of the students didn't.

The ones that were avoiding the topic of choice were the muggle born students and a few half-bloods as well.

"I saw Rachel earlier. She looked really upset."

"I don't think she was interviewed. Grindelwald attacked Brussels. Rachels grandparents live there."

That little piece of information caught and held Tom's attention. The psychopathic dark wizard hadn't attacked anyone in almost a year, so why now? The only reason Tom could think for the dark wizard attacking Brussels had to do with the muggle war.

Thankfully Harry didn't seem to notice people talking about the most recent attack as he was engrossed with his conversation with Eileen about the previous week of school he had missed.

"You sure your alright?" Orion asked when Harry seemed to weave a little when the food for dinner appeared.

"Sir Leighleas determined that Harry is allergic to acromantula venom." Tom interjected so Harry could have a little extra time to focus again. "It strained his core."

"I'm fine." Harry said quickly once the wave of dizziness had passed. "So what did Rupert do in potions?"

The trio went back to talking about the most recent incident in potions where their Gryffindor friend had blown up his cauldron without Harry there to keep an eye on him.

The rest of dinner went by without incident. Sir Leighleas was at the Slytherin table and escorting both Tom and Harry out of the Great hall within minutes of the last of the food vanishing.

"Hadrian my boy."

Tom was immensely relieved that the mediwizard was with them. Dumbledore had hurried over to intercept them out in the hall.

"I'm sorry for not coming by your office sir," Harry said quickly as he took Tom's hand so he could better focus on his friend's magic instead of the dark murkiness that was Dumbledore. "I felt ill and had to return to the hospital wing."

"Which is why we are going there now." Sir Leighleas said tightly. His lips were thin lines and his eyes were narrowed as he watched the transfiguration professor as if he were some dangerous animal. "I need to run a few more tests on Mr. Malfoy before he retires for the evening."

Dumbledore smiled thinly and the twinkling in his eyes were gone. "I'm sure you could spare the poor boy a few minutes. He must be tired of all your tests and I really do need to speak with him."

Sir Leighleas sighed and subtly placed himself between Dumbledore and the two boys. "It is my job to ensure the health of each and every student in this school. Mr. Malfoy had a serious reaction to the acromantula venom and he has just barely healed enough to return to school."

The tension between the two men was almost palpable as they stared each other down. "You will have time tomorrow to speak with Mr. Malfoy. Good evening."

With that Sir Leighleas spun around and ushered the two Slytherin students away from Dumbledore quickly.

"Sir Leighleas?" Harry was cut off when the mediwizard held a finger up to his lips to indicate silence. It wasn't until they made it into the Hospital wing that Harry attempted to speak again.

Sir Leighleas shook his head and went into his office, motioning for Harry and Tom to follow him. Once all three of them were safely in Sir Leighleas' office, the mediwizard waved his wand to cast several privacy spells, silencing spells, and warning charms just in case someone were to come into the hospital wing.

"We can speak safely now." The man said with a long tired sigh as he slipped his wand away in his arm holster. "You seem to have attracted the attention of a very...troubling wizard." Sir Leighleas waved a hand towards the couch that was off to one side of his office.

"What do you know of Dumbledore?" Tom asked sharply as he and Harry took the invitation and sat down.

With another tired sigh Sir Leighleas rubbed at his eyes and sat down heavily in a plush wing-back chair across from the couch.

"I know he is powerful. I know he likes to collect strong muggle born and half-blood students." Sir Leighleas told them slowly. "And I know he is not the kind man he portrays himself to be."

Tom's eyes narrowed as he thought about what the mediwizard had told them as well as what it meant for the man to talk to them.

When neither boy offered to speak up Sir Leighleas continued. "Dumbledore is not to be trusted. Witches and wizard that have stood against him in the past have had the tendency to either vanish...or go insane." He told them warily.

"I've also come across a rather troubling pattern after reading my predecessors journals." Sir Leighleas waved a hand slowly and a single book floated from a large and full bookshelf to his outstretched hand. "Students that have been in trouble with Dumbledore have been in more accidents then any other students."

Tom took the journal that the mediwizard passed to him. "Why are you telling us this?"

"Because I can tell that neither of you trust Dumbledore. I've noticed how you avoid him when not in your classes." He leaned forward to prop his elbows up against his knees so he could press his chin into his grasped hands. "Hadrian has already had two accidents. Both life threatening."

Up until then Tom had never considered the attacks on Harry to be connected. Now though his mind was working fast and he was already remembering little things that had happened so far during the year to Harry.

"You're both extremely intelligent and powerful. Dumbledore doesn't know the extent of your strength, but it doesn't take a genius to realize he knows young Mr. Malfoy is special."

Harry shifted closer to Tom and he was flushed in embarrassment. "I'm not that special." He murmured quietly.

Sir Leighleas watched Harry for a moment. There was a sadness in the man's eyes as he took in both boys.

Softly, with slow and careful movements, Sir Leighleas stood up and went to Harry. He crouched down on one knee and took Harry's hands in both of his own. "We both know that's not true." He waited until he was sure he had all of Harry's attention before continuing. "You are extremely sensitive to the magic around you. You can literally see magic. That's a very uncommon gift."

"You're not a seer, but you have prophetic dreams." Sir Leighleas held up a hand to stop Harry's denial. "Your mother told me. She thought it prudent I know about your medical history."

"You know he's powerful. What are you going to do about it?" Tom asked with a snarl. He hated how close Sir Leighleas was and he hated that the man was touching Harry.

Seeing how upset Tom was getting, Sir Leighleas stood back up and went back to his seat. "I'm going to offer to train Hadrian." His statement was simple and straight to the point. "I do not have the level of sensitivity that Hadrian possesses, but I do have the same prophetic dream ability. Through meditation and training Hadrian can learn to control it."

"I can also train Hadrian to mask his magic so people like Dumbledore will not learn just how strong he really is." Sir Leighleas frowned a little then. "As Hadrian's magic grows he will become a magnet for powerful magical creatures. Even weak wizards and witches will be drawn to him."

"What do you want in return?" No one just offered help out of the blue like this and it left Tom feeling extremely suspicious of the mediwizard.

"Your suspicious nature is good." Sir Leighleas didn't take offense at all to Tom's glare. "One day in the future you both will learn something that could put all of us in danger." He met Tom's glare calmly. "All I ask is that when that day comes, you give me the chance to explain myself."

"That's all?"

"Yes."

Harry tugged at Tom's sleeve to get his attention. "I-I think we should agree." There was fear there, deep in Harry's eyes and Tom knew it was because of Dumbledore. "If Sir Leighleas is right..."

There was only so much Tom could do to protect Harry. If the mediwizard was right about how Harry's magic would start attracting people and creatures then they would need all the help they could get.

"Fine. But either myself or Abraxas will be here whenever you train."

"I accept those terms." The tension in the man's shoulders left him and Sir Leighleas leaned back in his seat in relief. "I can also teach you both some dueling techniques and healing magic. Something tells me you'll need to know both."

Tom couldn't exactly turn that offer down, not when he had promised to teach Harry how to duel.

"Before we agree to anything else," Tom stood up slowly. It felt like the conversation was coming to a close. "What shade is your core."

Sir Leighleas tilted his head at that question. It was definitely not one he had been expecting. "I imagine you know the spell." He stayed seated even as the older Slytherin pulled out his wand. "See for yourself."

With a silent wave of his wand Tom cast the detection spell he had learned years ago so he could find out what his and Harry's cores were. A brilliant white aura surrounded the mediwizard with a few darker specks here and there.

"You're a light wizard then." Tom ended the spell and put his wand away. Tom had cast the spell quite a few times, but only one other person had had such a bright white aura and that had been Harry. Tom didn't completely trust the mediwizard, but he at least was a little more convinced that the man could teach Harry a few things.

"For the most part. I've had to cast a few dark spells now and then."

"Then there isn't much you could teach me. More core is completely dark." Although tom could cast light spells, he had always been better with dark and grey magic.

Sir Leighleas chuckled softly and shook his head a little. "There are quite a few dark healing spells I could teach you. And it never hurts to know things outside of your shade." For a moment the man smirked darkly. "People always underestimate you when they think you'll stick to what works best for your magical core."

The mediwizard shook himself from his thoughts and cast a wandless tempus. "I think enough time has passed. I doubt Dumbledore will be waiting for you outside of the hospital wing." Sir Leighleas frowned for a moment before standing up and going over to a door to one side of his office. "Wait here. I have something for you both."

It took a few minutes, but Sir Leighleas returned with a small box in his hands. "Here. These charms will block mind magic. Dumbledore is an accomplished legilimens and if he hasn't already done so I believe he will try to sneak into your minds soon."

The charms were simple silver discs with runes etched into the metal. Each one was hung on a thin silver chain that was long enough to stay hidden under a person's shirt.

Tom eyed the charms for a moment before sighing and taking two from the handful that were inside the box.

"I promise you the only magic attached to the charms are for blocking mind magic." Sir Leighleas looked at the one that was now hanging around Harry's neck. "Although...I could add a dampening spell to Hadrian's charm. That way it wont mess with Hadrian's magic and it'll give me more time to find a better solution to Hadrian's sensitivity."

In the end the dampening spell that had been on Harry was transferred to the charm and then the two Slytherins were on their way out of the Hospital wing. Just as Sir Leighleas had predicted, the two did not run into Professor Dumbledore and they made it safely to the Slythern dorms.

"Go ahead and head to bed Harry." Tom murmured once they portrait to the common room closed. "I can tell you're exhausted."

And he really was. Harry hadn't had to constantly refocus himself this much since he had first arrived at Hogwarts and the constant strain of having so much magic around him was starting to wear on him. The dampening charm was helping, but there was only so much it could do to help Harry.

"See you in the morning Tom."

* * *

For the next few days both Tom and Harry were extra careful about avoiding Dumbledore. The Transfiguration professor did his best to try and corner Harry, but each and every time it almost happened Harry would be pulled away by his friends or would become ill. The illness wasn't faked, much to Tom's displeasure, since the dampening charm could only do so much to block out Dumbledore's slimy magic from harry.

It wasn't just Orion, Eileen, and Rupert who were helping to protect Harry while in class. Other students from other houses that Harry had befriended during the Samhain party were now acutely aware of Harry's avoidance of Professor Dumbledore.

And they rallied behind Harry even if they had no idea why the young Slytherin wanted to stay away from the smiling blue eyed professor.

Three days later Harry received a quick note in his transfiguration class from Sir Leighleas. The mediwizard had found a possible solution to Harry's sensitivity; beyond the training he had promised.

"Mr. Malfoy?"

Harry looked up sharply before slipping the note into his bag. "Sir Leighleas wishes to see me."

For a moment Dumbledore didn't want to release the young Slytherin. He had so few opportunities to be around the boy. If he did detain him though then the mediwizard was sure to go to Dippet with a complaint.

"Be sure to have your essay done by next class Mr. Malfoy." With that Dumbledore released Harry from class with a small wave of his hand.

As quickly as he could, without drawing too much attention, Harry left the classroom.

Transfiguration had turned into Harry's least favorite class and he was actually starting to struggle. Harry knew the material, there was no doubt about that, and he could cast the spells asked without problems, but he often found himself getting dizzy and disoriented the longer the class wore on.

Harry hadn't been the only one to receive a note from Sir Leighleas. When he arrived at the Hospital wing, Tom was already there speaking with the mediwizard quietly.

"Thank you for coming so promptly Hadrian." Sir Leighleas looked relieved as the younger boy joined them. "Follow me."

Just as he had done several days ago, Sir Leighleas quickly cast several protective spells on his office once they were inside.

"How have you been Hadrian?" Sir Leighleas asked once they were all seated with tea and biscuits on the low table between them.

Harry took a moment to organize his thoughts before answering. "I've been alright." His words were slow and measured. "Things only really get bad during transfiguration."

They all knew what that meant.

"I think I've figured out a way to adjust the dampening spell. You'll be able to manually adjust how strong it is and the spell will not block out Tom's magic."

It was the best solution Sir Leighleas could come up with while he trained Harry how to meditate and control his sensitivity without the help of a spell or charm.

"The only problem with it is that the spell needs to be anchored with blood." The older man sighed softly and shook his head. "It can stay attached to the charm at least."

The prospect of using blood in a spell didn't sit right with Tom, but he knew that blood could make a spell stronger or give the caster more control. So long as the person who's blood was being used was also the one to cast the spell.

Tom was not about to give the mediwizard control over his Harry.

"You'll teach us both the dampening spell. Once we both know it well enough we will proceed with anchoring the spell using Harry's blood."

"It'll be your blood as well." Sir Leighleas said quickly. "The use of your blood will make it so that the spell does not block your magic signature from Hadrian. It'll also allow you some control over the spell."

Using two blood sources could be dangerous; especially if someone else got their hands on the charm. More protections would need to be put into place to ensure that the charms would be safe from anyone else.

When Sir Leighleas was given the go ahead from Tom he began working with the two Slytherins. Tom mastered the dampening spell quickly while Harry took a couple hours before he was able to cast the spell wandlessly.

Sir Leighleas had insisted that the two boys know how to use the spell well enough to be able to cast it without a wand. It was a safety measure that Tom agreed with.

Once he was sure the boys could cast the spell safely and efficiently, he began the next step. The mediwizard pulled out a silver bowl that could fit in his cupped hands and set it between the three of them. Sir Leighleas then handed Tom a silver athame to draw their blood.

"Once we have the blood I'll start the ritual. I'll have to drop the dampening spell quickly and you both will have to cast it together on Hadrian's charm."

The instructions were simple, but they all knew what might happen when the dampening charm on Harry was dropped. The magic of Hogwarts, or even the magic from Sir Leighleas while he was working on the ritual, could overwhelm the young Slytherin. He could faint, like he had days ago when he had first returned to Hogwarts.

"Just focus on me Harry." Tom whispered as he pressed the athame to the palm of his hand. Ruby red blood dripped from Tom's clenched hand into the silver bowl. Each drop hit the bowl with a soft tinging sound.

Harry nodded shakily and took the dagger from Tom. He trusted Sir Leighleas that this would work; Tom wouldn't do this if he was thought something would go wrong.

The cut Harry made on his hand was thin and he watched mesmerized as his blood pooled in his cupped hand.

"Harry?"

Harry shook himself a little and tipped his hand over so his blood could join the red liquid already in the bowl.

"Alright. Ready?" Sir Leighleas asked, his words almost a whisper as he focused his magic into the bowl.

With a swift move Tom grabbed Harry's charm from around his neck and broke the silver chain. As soon as the charm was in the bowl, sinking into the thick red liquid, Sir Leighleas cancelled the dampening spell.

Instantly Harry felt the powerful magic around him rise up. He felt like he was drowning in the sea of Hogwarts magic that was constantly in the air.

"Focus."

The word was like a life preserver thrown to him. Harry latched onto it, onto the magic that was so very Tom, and quickly wrapped himself up in the dark magic as if it were a thick protective blanket.

Harry's vision returned to him. The swimming colors that made up the school's magic were still around him, but they weren't blinding him like they had been.

Sir Leighleas was mumbling the ritual spell swiftly and the blood in the silver bowl was bubbling as if it were bowling. Harry could see the white of Sir Leighleas' magic as it covered the bowl.

"Cast the spell." The mediwizard hissed out as he held onto the ritual long enough for the boys to finish.

Harry's voice trembled a little, but both he and Tom spoke in unison. As they finished casting the dampening spell the ritual hit its peak and the blood was quickly absorbed into the charm.

With a sigh of relief Sir Leighleas set the silver bowl down and pulled the charm out. The silver chain was fixed and the silver charm gave off an odd glow.

"You'll be able to adjust the strength of the dampening spell whenever you want now." Sir Leighleas told Harry as he handed the charm over. "Tom will be able to as well."

Both Tom and Harry tested the spell a few times to get used to it. No matter how strong they made the dampening spell though, Tom's magic continued to stay around Harry.

"You'll still need training Hadrian." Sir Leighleas reminded the young Slytherin. "It is always best to rely on your own skills rather than on a spell or charm."

They'd spent so long learning the dampening spell and then casting the ritual magic to anchor the spell to the charm that most of their classes had ended. There was still time before dinner so it was decided between them that they would have their first lesson in meditation.

* * *

Special Thanks to: Louise to, Maurey, and Deb


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: Nope, do not own HP.

A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for being patient with me. As I stated on my tumblr, I was able to rewrite the plot/outline and I'm much happier with what I have now. If I stick with what I've figured out, RTT will have 31 chapters and an Epilogue.

I've deleted the "Short Hiatus" Announcement as well. So let's get back to it!

Reminder that this story updates on Mondays and that I make announcements and stuff over on my tumblr: Ethrildragon

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 24: A Little Mystery Goes a Long Way

The new dampening charm on Harry's pendant worked perfectly. Both he and Tom were constantly adjusting the charm until they found a happy medium for Harry. On good days Harry was even able to lower the strength of the dampening charm until it was barely there. On bad days Tom would insist on making it strong enough to block out almost everything.

By mid November they were only making minor adjustments in the mornings and right before Harry would go into Transfiguration.

Training with Sir Leighleas went well for both Tom and Harry. Harry would go first most days and would begin his meditation. Once he was calm and focused on his sensitivity, the mediwizard would work with Tom on the various spells the 5th year Slytherin wanted to learn.

Once Harry was done meditating, Sir Leighleas would begin teaching them how to duel.

Between classes, homework, and lessons with Sir Leighleas, Tom and Harry had very little time to be with each other or with their friends. The only time Harry really got to be with his friends was whenever Tom had a meeting with his followers or when they were in the library studying.

Despite their busy schedules though, Tom and Harry found time after Dinner to sneak down to the Chamber for a couple hours before curfew.

"Hey Tom."

Currently the two of them were in Salazar's library reading through various Parselscript tomes.

Tom stopped and glanced up from the book he was setting back onto the bookshelf to look over at Harry, who was partially curled up on the sofa with a battered and worn book in his hands.

"I think...I think this is Salazar's journal."

That pulled Tom away from the books he had been intending on reading next and he hurried over to the sofa to look at the book in Harry's hands.

Most of the books in the old library were handwritten in parselscript with graceful letters and straight lines of words, but the book in question looked like it had been written quickly with slanted English words followed up with a few illustrations here and there. On each page the writing was accompanied by notes on the sides and hastily drawn room layouts or small quick drawings of landscapes.

Harry handed the journal over to Tom for the older Slytherin to get a closer look.

Slowly Tom turned each page as he read over the parselscript. The journal detailed the early days of the founding of Hogwarts. There were rune diagrams here and there and cryptic references to various spells that were to be used.

"Go to the last few pages."

With a huff of annoyance, Tom flipped through the book closer to the end. His brows came up in surprise as he found what Harry had wanted him to see.

Large sections of the handwritten text were blacked out or had been scribbled out as if the writer had been upset about something.

The majority of the text spoke in riddles about guardians that were meant to protect and power the school. The last few lines of the journal alluded to the castle becoming more than any of the founders had ever predicted.

"What do you think it all means?" Harry asked as he looped his arms together over the back of the sofa. "The guardians?"

Tom frowned and read through the last few pages again. The notes and scribbled drawings along the edges of the pages were almost illegible and were almost childish.

"Probably ancient magic meant to protect the castle from danger." Tom snapped the journal closed. He hesitated to hand it back to Harry, who seemed overly eager to get back to reading the little book. There was a gleam there, a twinkle in those light green eyes that Tom didn't quite feel comfortable with.

"And the part about the castle? You read that right? I wonder what Salazar meant about it being 'more' than they planned." Harry was watching the journal even though Tom was still holding onto it.

With a huff Tom slipped the little book onto a nearby table. "I don't know Harry, but I don't think you should worry about it." The last thing he needed was for Harry to go running around the castle trying to figure out what the old founder had been talking about.

Harry pouted a little and then frowned. "But...aren't you at least a little curious? I mean, what if it has something to do with that prophecy I said?"

"Stop it Harry." Tom snapped quickly. He and Abraxas were still trying to figure out what had caused Harry to speak the prophecy, but they were trying to keep the younger teen out of the research. They both agreed that Harry had enough going on in his life.

"But-"

"Whatever this is about," Tom waved towards the journal still sitting on the table. "It's not important right now."

Harry frowned at Tom, but he didn't press it. He knew Tom had other things on his mind, which meant if Harry wanted to know more he would have to it on his own.

But when would he have time?

"I'm going to go hang out with Senestra for awhile." Harry got up off the sofa and hurried out of the library before Tom could stop him.

Harry normally spent the last hour or so with the ancient basilisk anyway. Tom would get a little more time in the private library without Harry bothering him with questions or boredom.

As soon as Harry was in the flooded chamber, he was scrambling up onto Senestra to scratch at spots just below her horns. She squirmed happily and hissed in pleasure Harry's little fingers worked at spots that Senestra couldn't itch by rubbing against a wall.

" _Hey Senestra,"_ Harry had waited a few minutes before speaking. He knew the basilisk was exceptionally old and had been Salazar's familiar. It made sense that she would have been around for the founding of Hogwarts. _"Were you here while Hogwarts was being built?"_

The ancient snake stopped in her wriggling and she turned her head slowly to look at Harry without dislodging him.

" _Why do you ask such things little hatchling?_ Rarely did anyone ask her about things; especially about when she had been young and with her first master.

Harry shrugged but then sighed after a minute. _"I found Salazar's journal. There was a lot there about the founding of Hogwarts. I just...I was curious."_

For several long minutes Senestra just silently watched Harry, her deadly gaze covered by the foggy transparent eyelid that kept her eyes from drying out and her killing gaze from working. There was a subtle golden glow under the lids that Harry always found enchanting.

Senestra sighed after flicking her tongue out several times towards Harry. _"So that's what this is about. I should have known."_ Her hissed words were almost too soft for Harry to pick up.

 _"Senestra?_ "

With a small shake of her head Senestra went back to looking at the tunnel opposite of her. " _I was newly hatched when my master and his companions began work on Hogwarts._ "

Harry was instantly silent as the ancient basilisk began telling her story.

 _"The lands here were perfect. They were fae lands first and foremost and were given to the founders only after they agreed to make pacts with magical creatures that would act as guardians for the school."_ The fae were always eccentric and their deals always mad some sort of caveat that didn't make sense.

For awhile after that Senestra fell silent. Harry had to bite his bottom lip to keep himself from prodding the basilisk for more info. He had learned that she only told her stories at her pace and that asking and prodding for more just made the giant snake clam up.

 _"The Guardians would always be here. Even after our masters were gone."_

 _"You're a guardian?"_ It was less a question and more of a statement of fact. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Senestra was more than just Salazar Slytherin's familiar he had left in the Chamber of Secrets.

 _"Our masters placed some of their magic within us. So long as we are dedicated to the protection of Hogwarts, we will remain. Only the magic from another founder could end a guardian."_

Senestra shook her head sadly at that. The only founder magic left, that she was aware of, could only be found within the other guardians and a few artifacts that Hogwarts guarded closely.

 _"The journal said...it said Hogwarts became 'more'. What did Salazar mean?"_ Harry asked slowly.

What sounded like a laugh escaped Senestra. _"That is one way to put it, but it is not something I can tell you much about."_ The basilisk hissed to herself for a moment. _"But...what was done brought the castle to life."_

 _"Hogwarts is alive?"_

 _"Are you surprised?_ " If Senestra had brows one would be lifted in question.

Harry shook his head quickly. It made sense really. Sometimes Harry felt like he was being watched even when nothing was around. The staircases would sometimes move randomly, other times they moved to be helpful. Things just happened in the castle that Harry couldn't explain.

"Harry, it's time for us to go." Tom had finished up with the book he'd been reading and had gone to join Harry and Senestra in the flooded chamber.

As much as Harry wanted to stay with Senestra to hear more, he knew Tom wouldn't be happy with him. Tom had been upset when Harry had shown interest in what had been in the journal, so it wasn't difficult for Harry to think that Tom wouldn't be at all happy if he knew Harry was talking to Senestra to learn more.

 _"Goodnight Senestra."_ Harry slipped off of the basilisks back and went to join Tom at the hall leading up to the Slytherin dorms.

 _"Be safe little hatchling, Master."_ Senestra bowed her head a little respectfully. She would go hunting once they were gone.

Both Tom and Harry were silent as the walked up the stone steps out of the Chamber. Tom's black eyes would dart over to Harry now and then in concern.

"Do you understand why I don't want you to get involved with whatever that journal was talking about?" Tom asked a little worriedly. Harry didn't seem upset, but he was also rather quiet.

Harry nodded at Tom's question and he smiled a little to show he wasn't upset. "Because I'm a trouble magnet and I already have a lot to do."

Tom sighed through his nose and shook his head at the smirk Harry was giving him. "Harry..." he couldn't be mad with the younger Slytherin, not with how he was grinning up at Tom. "As interesting as it would be to learn more about the castle," Tom started to explain. "It's not important. We have enough to worry about as it is."

They both knew what Tom was talking about, and it wasn't school work. Dumbledore had taken a more aggressive approach to getting close to Harry. The older man had even cornered Harry a couple times only for Harry to be saved by one of his friends, Tom, or Abraxas.

A tiny sigh left Harry as Tom went on to tell him that maybe next year, when Tom wasn't worried about his OWL's and they weren't as busy as they were, they could explore and learn more about Hogwarts.

It was better than Tom outright telling Harry 'no' at least.

Still, Harry couldn't stop thinking about the castle and what he had learned from the journal and from Senestra all through his classes the next day.

He was so distracted by the time lunch rolled around that Myrtle had left her Ravenclaw table to sit down next to him after being waved over by Eileen.

"You could ask for help you know."

Harry had been so distracted with his thoughts that he had failed to notice Myrtle switching tables. Both Orion and Eileen looked relieved that Harry was finally paying attention.

"What do you mean Myrtle?"

Eileen rolled her eyes and gestured towards Harry as she met Myrtle's eyes. The girls had a silent conversation for a split second before Myrtle stood up and took Harry with her.

"Eileen and Orion said you've been distracted all day." Myrtle commented as she mostly dragged Harry out of the Great Hall and towards the closest empty classroom. "And being your closest Ravenclaw friend they requested my help to figure out what exactly is on your mind."

Harry chewed at his lip even as Myrtle closed the door and adjusted her glasses. "Well? Are you going to talk to me or do I need to ask silly probing questions until I have my answer?" Her words were clipped short as she crossed her arms over her chest in irritation.

Tom had told Harry to lave the information he had learned in the journal alone, but he just couldn't stop the nagging feeling that it was important. It was like an itch beneath his skin that he couldn't quite get to or ignore. So Harry told Myrtle, albeit a very abridged version, about the journal and about the Hogwarts Guardians.

"I know it's just a bunch of Slytherin rumors," He had elected to tell Myrtle how the everything he had told her were just rumors that had been circulating in the Slytherin dorms for years. "But I just can't stop thinking about it."

For what felt like an eternity Myrtle was silent. Harry fidgeted with his hands and tugged at the sleeves of his robe as he waited.

"Did you ever read Hogwarts: A history?" She finally asked with a slight tilt of her head.

"Well yeah, it would be stupid not to." Harry huffed and frowned at the Ravenclaw second year. "I think I would remember if it mentioned a bunch of almost immortal creatures guarding the school though."

That got Myrtle to crack a smile at Harry. "You are right that the book doesn't talk about any creature guardians, just the golem gargoyles and various defensive wards. But if you read between the lines you'll notice that a lot of information was left out."

If there was one thing Harry disliked about Myrtle, and most Ravenclaws for that matter, it was that they were often cryptic when giving information about something.

"The book mentions the school having protections, but other than the wards it doesn't elaborate. It has almost every room listed and mapped out, and yet we all know there are secret passageways and rooms that you can only get too when the circumstances are right."

The Room of Requirement came to Harry's mind.

"The school has 23 towers listed in the book, and yet the school has 24. Sometimes a 25th tower appears and vanishes around midnight on nights of the new moon. There are 142 staircases in the entire school, and yet some lead to the middle of nowhere with no rooms, doors, or exits, and others move on their own and change locations seemingly at random."

"Your point Myrtle?" Harry asked a little quickly. What was the point of listing things that almost every student knew?

"The school is magic, but how? This large of a castle with so many moving parts and extra structures would require constant magical support from every magical being within it at all times. I don't know about you, but I don't remember ever giving my magic to the school. The magic of Hogwarts should have failed decades after the Founders had died, unless..." She reached up to adjust her glasses again.

"Unless the school has its own magical core." Harry said slowly as all the hints Myrtle had left finally connected.

"At least that's the theory Ravenclaw students have been discussing for years."

Myrtle took a moment to shrug her shoulders and nod. She shook her head and sighed softly as if having an internal argument before finally looking up at Harry with a huff. "There's an inscription in Ravenclaw tower at the base of Rowena's statue. No one can read it, but the rumors state it's an inscription about Hogwarts itself."

"Could I-" Harry didn't even get to finish his question when Myrtle grabbed him and began dragging him out of the empty classroom and through the hall.

"I'll show it to you, but don't be too upset when you get nothing out of it."

Myrtle felt excitement buzzing under her skin. The theories about Hogwarts and the magic powering Hogwarts were the most discussed ones in Ravenclaw. There was even an ongoing bet between all the years over it. If she were the one to find the answers all the Ravenclaws had been dying to learn for years, she'd never be bullied or teased again!

And she somehow knew Harry would be the key to finding the truth.

Harry was dragged part of the way, Myrtle moving faster than he could, before he was finally able to right himself to walk alongside the older girl.

"If the school does have its own core," Harry began to say. It wasn't going to be a short walk to the Ravenclaw Tower so he might as well discuss things further. "Then what does that have to do with the guardians I read about?"

"Well I don't know." Myrtle snipped a bit back. "But if you find the answer to one question, then inevitably you will find the answer for another."

"Or more questions." Harry groaned in reply. He almost felt annoyed when Myrtle just giggled at him. He would have been upset, but he couldn't blame Myrtle for her enthusiasm; she was a Ravenclaw after all.

Getting Harry into the Ravenclaw tower wasn't nearly as difficult as Harry had feared it would be. He knew that the Ravenclaw students had to answer a riddle to get inside, but even he knew the answer to the riddle that was asked.

No, Harry had been worried about other Ravenclaw students making a fuss.

He was rather surprised when he found not only Ravenclaw students hanging out in their common room, which was stacked full of books and had several curtained off areas for private studying, but also a couple Hufflepuff students and an older Slytherin.

Harry was sure he recognized the Slytherin student, a 7th year that was good at noticing things with his quick and calculating gaze. Lament? Carrow? He couldn't be sure.

"You let other houses into your common room?"

"Knowledge is power Harry." Myrtle just rolled her eyes at him and smirked. "If you ban knowledge you're just asking to be torn down."

The younger Slytherin didn't have time to ask questions when Myrtle just grabbed him again to drag him towards a large statue of whom Harry assumed was Rowena Ravenclaw set in a large alcove lined with even more books.

"There's the inscription."

Harry hadn't even had time to look down at the base of the statue, so consumed with taking in the entire statue. Myrtle's pointing finger pulled his attention downward.

What he saw looked similar to the runic circles that Tom had shown him during the older teens 3rd year, but instead of the recognizable runes that Harry had memorized he found elegantly scrawled words.

Words in Parselscript.

It was no wonder that no one had ever been able to translate the words there. Parseltongue was a distinctly Slytherin trait in the British Isles.

"Well?" Myrtle prompted as Harry slowly walked around the statue to read the entire inscription. He pretended to be puzzled and even traced the words there to make it seem like he had no idea what he was reading.

When he and Myrtle had first approached the statue, several of the students in the common room had stopped to observe. Most of the Ravenclaw students lost interest after a moment, but the 7th year Slytherin covertly continued to watch Harry.

 _Some lines fade, some never end_

 _Some branch like roots, but never do they bend_

 _A safeguard made, a secret of the core_

 _Four can become five, but never more_

 _Two bound to the earth, two take to the air_

 _Two unseen, two have a magical stare_

 _When trouble is near, and guardians found_

 _The castle will speak, an heir will be bound_

It took Harry reading the inscription a few times, circling the statue with an expression of wonder, before he had the words memorized.

Of course it was a riddle. It was always a blasted riddle! He was starting to doubt the words Gothrack had spoken all those years ago; this sure as hell felt like a blasted fantasy book where Harry had to go on some ridiculous adventure to find his happy ending.

The longer Harry took, fingering the strange symbols carved into the stone, the more Myrtle began to become disheartened.

"Can you read it?"

For a moment Harry was tempted to tell Myrtle yes, but that voice in the back of his head told him to wait. The voice, of feeling, had never led Harry astray so he was keen to listen to it. Still though, Harry didn't feel right lying to Myrtle.

Instead Harry shrugged a little with a frown.

"Well darn." Myrtle went to the open seat nearest to the statue and sat down with a grumpy sigh. "I guess you being able to read it would have been too easy." She wasn't too upset though. With the rumors that Harry had given her Myrtle at least had something to add to the theories that the Ravenclaw students discussed on a regular basis.

Harry stood next to the statue a little awkwardly until Myrtle finally told him to sit down.

Shortly after Harry made himself comfortable several of the other first years, and a few second years, came over to join them. After awhile of discussing various books and assignments, Myrtle seemed to have forgotten about the mystery Harry had given her.

* * *

A few days later Harry was finally able to sneak down into the Chamber without Tom. He had made sure to tell Abraxas where he was going so that no one would worry though.

" _Senestra?"_ Harry called out even before he entered the flooded chamber where Senestra could often be found.

" _Hello little hatchling._ "

Harry rolled his eyes at the moniker. He'd given up getting the giant snake to call him something else some time ago.

 _"I found something in Ravenclaw tower."_

Senestra let out a long sigh. She should have known Harry wouldn't let the whole guardian thing go. It was in his nature; and there was the magical factor that she knew was pushing him to learn more.

 _"What did you learn little one?"_ She couldn't outright give him the answers, the magic of Hogwarts kept her from doing so, but if he made the right guesses she could take the final steps and reveal the truth to him.

Harry recalled the riddle he had translated and repeated it to the basilisk that he had climbed up onto as he usually did.

 _"I think I've figured out most of the riddle. I just..."_ The need he had been feeling to find the answer had gone away at all since he had first read the journal. _"I just wanted to run it all past you. Since you're a guardian and all."_

The hissing sound that Harry had learned was Senestra's laugh sounded and he grinned. She wasn't telling him 'no' at least.

 _"The first part of the riddle talks about lines. I think it means bloodlines or family lines. They can fade and end when heirs aren't born. Family lines can branch away from the main line as people take each others names. But family lines can't really bend. Broken and remade? Sure. But they can't bend."_

When the snake didn't say anything to contradict Harry's theory the boy took it as a good sign.

 _"I'm not really sure about the next part. I understand the 'safeguard' part, that's rather straight forward. If the castle really is alive then it would have a core, which would be secret. But four becoming five? I have no clue about that?"_

Harry went silent as he went over those two lines mentally. Did it mean there would be five guardians? Five houses? What could grow from four to five, but not more than that?

 _"The third part of the riddle is a clue as to what the guardians are. Since you're a guardian, you're one of the two bound to the earth and you have a magical stare."_

The fact that Harry had figured out all of that, allowed Senestra to speak further.

 _"A safeguard was put into place in the event that a founder's line died out._ " Senestra spoke up before Harry could go into his theory on the final part of the riddle. _"Each heir can access the magic of the castle left by their ancestor. It is their inheritance that they can claim. If danger were ever to come to Hogwarts, the heirs could empower the castle, awaken all its defenses, and order the guardians to battle._

 _"But humans are fragile creatures. They can be easily killed and we guardians can not leave Hogwarts to protect them."_ Senestra signed regretfully at that. _"And it is not like we can force an heir to stay at Hogwarts."_ Though she would have loved to do so with her Master and her little hatchling.

 _"As long as a Founders bloodline was alive, no matter how distant, the magic of Hogwarts would remain strong. Do not ask me how; it has something to do with ancient blood magic and not something I am versed in."_ Senestra warned when she heard Harry's intake of breath.

 _"The Founders knew this plan was flawed though. They lived in a time when non magical humans were killing each other and hunting down magical humans. Families were being wiped out. The Founders knew there was a possibility their own descendants could be killed and their lines ended._

 _"They did not know what to do. For years they did not have a solution. That was until the Castle Spoke."_

For a long time Senestra was silent. She was an ancient basilisk, she knew a great many things, but that didn't mean she knew how magic worked. To her magic was so intrinsically linked to nature that she had no reason to question 'why'. That was a wizard's job.

 _"The Founders had never anticipated the Castle growing its own magical core nor coming to life. They thought maybe being built on Fae lands had something to do with it. What mattered though was that the castle came up with a solution."_

 _"An heir will be bound."_ Harry whispered.

 _"The castle has chosen heirs in the past, but none have ever claimed their inheritance. There has never been a need."_ Senestra's tongue flicked out, tasting the air around Harry. _"The Founders bloodlines had always been alive and there has never been any real danger near Hogwarts."_

 _"How does someone become the Castle's heir then?"_

If Senestra had shoulders she would shrug. _"I know not. Hogwarts chooses her possible heirs, but never actively tries to claim an heir. If all the guardians are found and spoken to though, Hogwarts will speak to her heir."_

 _"Am I the heir?_ " Harry asked with a wild smile. _"It would be my luck. I mean everything always seems to happen to me._ " It would also explain why Harry felt such a strong _need_ to solve this mystery.

Senestra hissed out a laugh again. _"I do not know if you are the heir, little hatchling. The castle can choose several people as possible heirs and anyone can speak to the Guardians, but the castle will only ever speak to one potential heir."_

 _"So...who are the other guardians then? Can I talk to them?"_ Harry was less interested in the whole heir thing and more interested in talking to such old and magnificent magical creatures. If anyone could talk to them then he definitely wanted to.

For several long minutes Senestra simply flicked her tongue out scenting the air. It took Harry prodding her a few times before she finally hissed softly and gave him an answer.

 _"I can not outright tell you, hatchling. Hogwarts will not allow it. But..."_ She looked around the chamber for a moment. _"With Master claiming his Slytherin inheritance, the other Guardians will have awoken. If you truly desire to speak with them, you will find them eventually."_

A large smile stretched across Harry's lips. He really did want to meat the other Guardians. Senestra knew so many things, it only made sense that the others would know even more.

Harry was sure that he could find the other Guardians. With the hints from the riddle he could at least narrow down the list of possible creatures; which could only help in the long run.

The only question Harry to ask himself though was if he should tell Tom about all of this. He knew he should, but he knew Tom would be very unhappy about it.

* * *

Special thanks to: Louise to, Maurey, and Deb

A/N: I hope this chapter was satisfactory. Thanks for being understanding about my two week break and I am glad to be back!


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

A/N: This is the longest chapter I have ever written for RTT. Probably the longest chapter I've ever written for a story. I actually cut a couple things out and put them in the next chapter just because this chapter felt like it was getting too long.

Reminder that this story updates every Monday.

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 25: Quidditch and the Second Guardian

"Thank ye again Professor." Hagrid said happily as he was escorted by Professor Dumbledore to the little hut near the edge of the forest where the current grounds keeper lived. Since he lived in Hogsmeade, Hagrid would walk to and from Hogwarts each day.

It had taken Dumbledore months to finally convince Dippet to allow the lumbering Hagrid to become an apprentice to Grounds Keeper Mulford. It'd taken even longer for Dippet to talk the Board of Governors into allowing it.

Hagrid would be given a small living allowance as compensation for his work and when he took over Mulford's job he'd be given a normal salary.

The half giant didn't really care that he would be earning a little money; he was just happy to be doing something!

Dumbledore had even promised to help the boy get some sort of education while he worked with the grounds keeper.

In reality Dumbledore would conveniently find himself too busy to give Hagrid any real tutoring.

"Think nothing of it my boy." Dumbledore gave the large boy a comforting and warm smile as they walked the long path from Hogsmeade. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more." He made his voice sound as remorseful as he could and Dumbledore crumpled his expression just enough to look like he was near tears.

"Oh no Professor!" Hagrid reached up as if to comfort the man that was in essence his savior. "You have already done so much for me professor! I know I'm not making things easy for you." The half giant continued to babble assurances of just how grateful he was for everything Dumbledore had done for him.

Dumbledore smirked ever so slightly when he finally left Hagrid with Mulford. The oaf wouldn't actually working as the grounds keepers apprentice until the start of the next school year, but Dumbledore already had Hagrid thoroughly under his control.

When the next school year started, Dumbledore was sure he'd finally have Harry Malfoy all to himself. He would learn everything there was to know about the boy and then he would either find a way to control him, or Dumbledore would drain him of his magic and dispose of the boy.

Either way Dumbledore would gain a great deal of power and that made him shudder excitedly.

* * *

In the end Harry ended up telling Tom everything. It would have been impossible for Harry to have kept the information a secret for long, but Harry was rather proud of himself for keeping the secret until after winter break.

Tom had become rather suspicious after the break though when Harry started spending more time in Ravenclaw tower. He'd found out about those frequent visits from his 7th year follower Neil Lament; who was dating a 7th year Ravenclaw girl.

It took little effort on Tom's part to make Harry break. All he had to do was silently glare at the guilt ridden first year until he finally started confessing everything.

At first Tom had been furious; he had TOLD Harry to drop the whole thing, but afterwards he'd been curious. The whole idea that the castle was alive was something that Tom had never considered.

And then there was the fact that apparently Tom had access to special magic that only the heirs of Founders could get to. Senestra had happily shown Tom had to connect to and access the magic Salazar Slytherin had placed in the castle after that.

Tom was more willing to forgive Harry for keeping secrets after learning about the power Tom had access to.

For the rest of the year nothing really _happened_. At least nothing different. No other accidents happened and Harry was able to stay out of the Hospital wing for the most part. Both Tom and Harry kept up their training with Leighleas, Dumbledore kept trying to get alone with Harry, Harry continued his research into what sorts of creatures the other guardians might be, Tom continued building his follower base, and everyone continued learning everything they could.

When the end of the school year came, Harry was surprised to find that he was second from the top of his class. First went to a Ravenclaw boy that kept mostly to himself.

Harry didn't mind, he'd gotten an Outstanding in most of his classes except for Astronomy and Transfiguration. He had achieved an Exceeds Expectations in those two classes; not that he was all that upset about it.

His father was a little upset, but after a sharp look from Mrs. Malfoy nothing was said.

For Harry, Tom, Abraxas, and the other children that were staying with the Malfoy's the summer went by quickly and enjoyably.

Soon enough though the summer came to an end and all the children in the Malfoy home were preparing to return to Hogwarts.

With the war still going on, the Malfoy adults had ordered all the books and school supplies in order to avoid going to London and Diagon Alley. The only time the family and the children staying with them even ventured into London was when they were boarding the train to go to school.

Harry, Orion, and Rupert were all looking forward to their second year for one major reason; they could try out for quidditch. Most second years didn't make the house teams, but it never hurt to at least try out.

"I can't wait to get some practice time on my Speedster 60." Orion gushed as the trio packed themselves into the train compartment. Eileen had put her trunk away before making her excuses to go and find one of her non quidditch enthusiast friends.

"Do you think we'll be allowed to fly around the pitch?" Harry asked as he flopped down into his seat. "Are we even allowed to fly if we're not on a team?"

"They can't really tell us no..." Rupert offered up. "Only first years are banned from bringing their own brooms. The rules don't really say we can't fly on our own so long as it's only at the pitch."

Harry wondered though if he would even have time to be on a quidditch team? He really wanted to, but between classes, homework, his lessons with Leighleas, Tom, and spending time with his friends would he really have time for one more thing?

Not to mention he still had the whole Hogwarts Guardian mystery to solve.

It was a very good thing Harry was already ahead of his year and knew all the material for year two. He only really had to be concerned with finishing the homework and turning it in for his classes.

"Harry?"

Harry snapped out of his thoughts to look at Orion. "What? Sorry."

The black preteen rolled his eyes a little before bumping his shoulder against Harry's. "I asked if you wanted to have a mock match this weekend? To practice. I'm sure we could scrounge up enough second years from all the houses to put together a couple of teams."

After the Samhain party last year the first and second years from all the houses had grown closer. Now they were all second and third years, but the inter house friendships had only gotten stronger. It helped that several of the students were currently staying with the Malfoy's.

"Sure. It'd be fun." Harry grinned widely at Orion.

With it being only Thursday, classes wouldn't start until Monday. That gave them Friday to plan out the details and then Saturday or Sunday to have the mock match. There would be plenty of time before or after to go visit Senestra down in the Chamber and to meet with Sir Leighleas about their future lessons.

"I don't think everyone will have brooms though." Rupert commented after a few minutes. He had an older Racing Falcon that still flew pretty well even if it was a couple generations old.

Orion shrugged a bit. "Maybe we can ask Professor Kenneth if we can borrow some school brooms."

"Kenneth? Stickler for rules Kenneth? Perpetual broom up his bum Kenneth?" Harry asked with a groan. "You really think Professor Kenneth would be willing to let a bunch of second years borrow school brooms for a casual game of quidditch?"

That made Orion stop and think for a few minutes. It was true that the Hogwarts flight instructor disliked students. In fact Orion was sure that the world would end if the man let them within a mile of the broom shed.

"You could always ask Professor Slughorn for a pass." Rupert suggested with a smirk.

It was well known that Harry was one of Professor Slughorn's favorite young students. Harry figured it was mostly because of Tom and Abraxas, but he wouldn't deny the fact that the potions professor and head of Slytherin house definitely showered Harry with favoritism.

Harry groaned at the very idea of going to Slughorn for help.

Favoritism was something that rubbed Harry wrong. As nice as the potions professor was, the man always seemed to be too nice.

"Speaking of asking a certain Slytherin Professor for things," Orion's smirk turned down right sneaky. "Are we going to have another Samhain party this year?"

"I don't see why not."

The door to their compartment had been left open. Eileen had returned and with her was Myrtle, Persephone, and a Hufflepuff boy that Harry hadn't gotten the chance to be around much last year.

In fact, other than Myrtle, Eileen, Orion, and Rupert, Harry hadn't really spent time with only his age last year outside of the occasional party that Eileen had been able to setup.

"Scoot over Black." Eileen quite literally shoved Orion until he had scooted from the center of the bench seat so that she, Myrtle, and Persephone could join him.

"You see how she treats me?" Orion tried to hide the whine in his voice, but there was still a bit of upturn to his lip as he rolled his eyes. "You would think I mean nothing!"

"You remember Bannrhine Scamander, don't you Hadrian?" Eileen chose to ignore the complaining boy next to her in order to introduce the Hufflepuff second year that was standing a little awkwardly in the door.

"Just Bann...please." The boy had wavy dark brown hair that he rubbed at awkwardly. A worn handmade yellow and grey scarf was wrapped around his neck and shoulders and his brown eyes were soft and warm as he looked around at the group seated in the compartment.

Harry didn't even need to shove at Rupert to get him to scoot over so Harry could move to make room for the Hufflepuff boy.

"Thank you Malfoy." Bannrhine took the offered seat with a small smile.

"My friends all call me Harry."

"Except Prince. She seems to forget she has permission to not use his full name." Orion's snort turned into a cough when Eileen reached over to smack him in the chest.

The two bickered for a few minutes until settling down enough to continue the conversation about having another Samhain party.

About an hour into the train ride Tom found them laughing over a muggle card game that Myrtle had introduced them to.

"Everything going alright in here Harry?" Tom asked as he lightly leaned against the door frame.

Harry turned sparkling green eyes up to Tom and the sixth year Slytherin prefect felt his breath catch in his throat.

He had gotten better control over his jealousy over Harry's friends, especially after Harry had made a point to spend more time with Tom, but even still that little green creature inside him stirred at how happy Harry was surrounded by his peers.

Tom didn't think he would ever stop feeling jealous of the people Harry chose to show affection towards.

"We're playing Bluff." Harry continued to grin as Orion continued to tell Eileen that he did not have any of the cards she wanted. "Bann is winning."

Tom remembered the card game. It was one of those games that a bunch of kids back at the orphanage would play together while excluding him and Harry. The two couldn't explain play it together as at least three people were needed to make it at least a little fun.

The new name caught Tom's attention. His dark gaze flickered to the new boy that was sitting next to Harry.

It didn't take more than a minute for Tom to realize who 'Bann' was. Alf had pointed out the Scamander boy last year. With the whole Grindelwald situation the Scamander boy had been a little bit of a celebrity for several months.

"If you could join Abraxas and myself in our compartment for lunch Harry, it would be appreciated." Tom wanted to spend at least a little time with Harry before they arrived at Hogwarts.

Harry smiled and nodded in understanding. They both knew that Tom would be even busier this year. He'd had duties as a fifth year prefect, but as a sixth year prefect those duties would be doubled. Time would be in short supply for the two of them.

Once that was confirmed, Tom left Harry to be with his friends and returned to his patrolling of the train. He was done quickly and relieved by a fifth year prefect so that he could return to the compartment he and Abraxas were using.

Thankfully no one had decided to join Abraxas while Tom was out doing his rounds.

"I found Harry with his friends." Tom commented as he gratefully sat down with a weary sigh.

"He is rather fond of them." Abraxas had his nose buried in a book and was only partially paying attention to Tom.

Tom stared at Abraxas for awhile, just waiting for his adopted brother to actually pay attention to him. "They were playing strip poker."

"Whatever makes them happy."

"Is that book really that interesting or are you ignoring me?" Tom demanded as he flicked his magic out wandlessly to knock the book out of Abraxas' hands.

The blond blinked in surprise and then glared at Tom. "Just because your love remains one sided does not mean you can take it out on me."

Tom hissed softly and proceeded to turn his head to glare out the window. "If you weren't my second in command I would crucio you."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night Tom." Abraxas sighed softly and picked up his book off of the floor. He was tempted to go back to reading it, but decided it would be better to find out exactly what was wrong with his brother.

"You're sulking Tom." His brother shot him a glare out of the corner of his black eyes before glaring back out the window again.

To make him more comfortable, Abraxas placed several locking spells and privacy charms on the door and around their compartment.

"Why don't you just talk to him? At least let him know how you feel."

"He's too young." Tom groaned ever so softly. "We've been friends since we were small and we've been _brothers_ ," Tom sneered at that word. "For the past couple years. Besides...it's not that kind of love, despite what you say."

The two of them had had this conversations many times since the winter holidays when Abraxas had watched Tom spending as many quiet moments with Harry as he could. When Abraxas had brought up the unrequited love, Tom had gone ballistic. He refused to allow himself to admit to a weakness such as 'love'. At least not the romantic love that Abraxas was determined to talk about.

Tom did love Harry, but not in the kind of way that couples felt. Harry was Tom's whole world and Tom would do everything in his power to make Harry happy. But that wasn't the heart stopping romantic love that left people feeling weak in the knees. He wasn't a bumbling idiot like the other boys his age that were chasing after pretty girls.

Despite Tom's arguments, Abraxas was sure that what Tom felt was in fact the kind of romantic love.

"You get jealous whenever someone else gets close to Harry." Abraxas refused to back down even as Tom sent his most venomous glare at him. "You would give Harry the world on a gold platter if you could. You're willing to take over all of Hogwarts just to keep Harry safe."

"That's not love." Tom insisted. There was no word for what Tom felt. Obsession came close.

"When you can tell me what it is, I will back off." Abraxas was getting tired of arguing in circles with his brother. "Until then I will badger you until you admit that you are in love with Harry."

"He's too young." Tom insisted softly as the conversation came to an end. Abraxas grabbed up his book again and Tom went back to glaring at the moving scenery zipping along as the train made its way steadily towards Hogwarts.

Even as silence descended between the two teens, Tom's mind couldn't stop thinking about that one word. Love.

He had no idea what love was. He had seen it between others, but what was love exactly? Lust he could understand. Lust was a physical reaction when one was near someone they wanted to be physical with. But love? It had no purpose. It made a person weak.

At least that's what Tom tried to convince himself of. What he felt for Harry wasn't love. It didn't make him weak. If anything, what he felt made him strong. He had to be strong. For Harry.

* * *

It was surprisingly easy for Harry to convince Professor Slughorn to give them access to the broom shed that first weekend the students were back at Hogwarts. All Harry had had to do was mention how he wanted to practice for quidditch tryouts and Slughorn was practically shoving the permission note into Harry's hands.

Somehow, in the time it took between the welcome feast and breakfast the next morning, the entire second year class knew about the quidditch game that was being planned.

In all honesty, most of the school knew, but it had been unanimously agreed that only second years would participate.

"33 second years have asked to play." Orion was practically bouncing in his seat and Rupert seemed to be equally as excited. "Including the three of us."

Harry groaned a little as he picked at his breakfast. He had been hoping for just a small match, between his friends and the few other second years he knew. Instead this entire thing had blown out of proportion.

He was surprised Tom hadn't shown up to shut it all down.

"So, what? Four matches with rotating players?" Rupert asked.

"I doubt everyone knows how to play. When we get down to the pitch a bunch will probably back out." Orion was very sure about it.

"You're going to need a referee." Harry looked up and found Cyril Rosier, the Slytherin team captain, standing behind Orion. "A bunch of people have already said they're going to go down and watch when you have the match. It's really turning into an unofficial official match."

"It's just for practice!" Harry cried out in shock. "It was supposed to be a friendly match between second years."

"Regardless, it's going to be an interesting show." With that said, Cyril moved away to go join the other seventh years.

Eileen frowned as Harry just groaned again and nearly lowered his head into his breakfast. "Don't worry Hadrian," She soothingly began rubbing Harry's back. "The older years will lose interest quickly. Second years don't have the experience to make a match look interesting."

What Rosier had said though was true; they were going to need a referee for the unofficial match. Professor Kenneth wasn't likely to help them out, so who else was there among the adults that could act as referee?

"Do you guys at least have a list of names and what positions they want to play?"

Harry didn't even hear Eileen as he glanced up at the table to observe the staff. He had no idea if any of them besides Kenneth were even interested in Quidditch.

An idea came to Harry and he quickly left the Slytherin table to hurry up to the staff table.

"Sir Leighleas?"

During the summer the mediwizard had visited the Malfoy Manor a few times in order to check up on Harry and Tom to make sure they were keeping up with their training.

"Is there something I can do for you Mr. Malfoy?" The mediwizard was as coon and composed as he always was.

Harry grinned at him. After a year of seeing the mediwizard and spending time with with the older man, Harry had gotten used to reading his emotions. The mediwizard may look uninterested in what was going on, but he had his full attention on Harry and he was holding back a slight smirk.

"The second years are going to have a mock quidditch match-"

"So I had heard." Sir Leighleas let out a a long sigh and leaned back in his seat. "I will make sure to have the Hospital Wing fully prepared for the ridiculous injuries that will occur." He knew there would be injuries; preteens were not known for playing it safe.

"Actually," Harry had to fight the urge to fidget with his shirt sleeve. "I was wondering if you could referee the match? That way people would get injured less!"

Once again the mediwizard let out a long sigh. His gaze narrowed as he scrutinized the youngest Malfoy in the school. It was true that if he were to referee the match he could prevent quite a few injuries. He knew a little bit about quidditch; enough to at least keep the young students from breaking any rules.

Besides, how could he say no to Harry with his big green eyes and hopeful smile?

"Fine. Just send me a note when the match will be." Sir Leighleas felt like he was selling his soul as Harry grinned and babbled several 'thank you's before rushing back to his table.

For the rest of the day the second years were busy getting everything set up. Orion and Rupert got all the names, what positions they wanted, and if they had brooms while Eileen bravely spoke with Professor Kenneth about using the quidditch equipment.

In the end enough people pulled out of the lists that they were able to make 4 teams, with a couple reserve players. Most of the students had their own brooms, but a few would use the school's brooms. Professor Kenneth had agreed to let the students use a practice quidditch set that had been set to easier levels, though he wasn't very happy about it.

There would be 3 matches total. 2 against 2 and then the winning teams against each other in a final match.

Houses did not matter. All the second years had been mixed up together since no one house had enough interested second years to make up a team.

Harry was regretting agreeing to do this. By Saturday most of the school was talking about the match and word was that most of the school would be showing up.

"Rosier said all the captains would be showing up to watch." Unlike Harry, Rupert was extremely excited. "They're using this as an impromptu tryout."

"Great. More pressure." Harry's nerves felt stretched thin. As much as he enjoyed quidditch, he didn't much like the attention aspect. Honestly he should have expected the entire school to make such a big deal out of it. It was a boarding school; what else did bored students have to do besides gossip and homework?

Harry was half tempted to go and hide in the dorms until the stupid matches were over. His thoughts of escape stopped though when Abraxas pulled him into a side hug.

"You'll do fine. Just fly and have fun." He could tell that his little brother was stressing well past what should be normal. "Tom and I will be there with our friends. We'll make sure nothing bad happens."

Looking over at Tom, Harry was relieved to find his dearest friend nodding in encouragement. He knew Tom wasn't happy about the unofficial quidditch match, but he wanted Harry to be happy.

Tom knew Harry enjoyed flying and playing quidditch so if this was what Harry wanted to do, then Tom would support him. He would just make sure that Harry was as safe as possible.

Once breakfast was done, the second years scattered. Many ran back to the dorms to grab their brooms while others hurried to the quidditch pitch. At least half the school decided to join the second years down at the quidditch pitch.

Harry had his broomstick resting against his shoulder, a brand new Comet 180 that he'd gotten for his birthday, as he made his way down to the pitch.

After protective practice gear was handed out and the teams separated, Sir Leighleas gave a rundown on the rules for the match.

Harry was only partially paying attention. It was only because of his fast reflexes that he was up in the air the moment the whistle sounded. Having almost half the school watching was distracting and it took all of Harry's control not to shake from nerves.

The dampening charm was at full strength as he began circling the pitch once the snitch was released. They'd found out last year that his sensitivity actually allowed him to track the snitch and locate it even when it was moving.

It was tempting, using his sensitivity to catch the snitch, but Harry wanted to win by his own skills at flying.

Eventually the fact that there were a ton of people watching faded and Harry was able to relax and focus on the game. It helped that Tom kept sending him calming and reassuring feelings through their bond.

After about a half hour of chasing the snitch only to be lose sight, of bludgers flying a little too close for comfort, and Harry literally rolling through the air at one point to avoid the other seeker that had flown past him at one point, something strange happened.

Harry's broom bucked.

With a frown Harry tapped his fingers against his broom. The sharp movement could have just been the wind or something jolting him, but then his broom wrenched to the side and Harry's head snapped against his neck so that his ear hit his shoulder.

"What the-"

The broom twisted around and began actively trying to get free of Harry's grip. It was only by sheer force of will that Harry was able to hang on.

With a curse Harry lessened the strength on the dampening charm to see what the hell was going on.

A dark and sludgy magic was wrapped around his broom and it left Harry feeling ill. He knew that magic; it was Dumbledore's. Whatever the transfiguration professor was doing, probably some sort of curse, it was making Harry's broom go out of control.

"Tom!" Harry cried out as his broom movements became more and more violent. Unless he knew which curse Dumbledore was using, a counter curse would be useless.

The moment Tom felt dark magic reaching out to Harry, he started scanning the audience. The magic was strong and subtle, a student wouldn't be able to create such a curse. Only a few professors and adults were watching, one of witch made Tom hiss angrily.

"Harry's broom is going crazy!" Abraxas was out of his seat and was about to wave his wand to do something when Tom grabbed his hand to stop him. "Tom!"

"Dumbledore."

Not even needing to say anything more, several of Tom's Slytherin followers broke away from the group and went to the transfiguration professor whose eyes were staring fixedly on Harry.

Tom could hear Harry yelling and the fear he felt through their bond made Tom's blood boil. He was hissing constantly and he could feel magic coiling up in and around him. It wasn't Tom's magic that was responding to him, no, this magic felt older and left his skin feeling like a snake was coiling around him.

 _"By my ancestor Salazar Slytherin's power, I curse you."_ The words came to Tom before he could even comprehend what he was saying. _"So long as you are within the bounds of Hogwarts magic, you will NEVER achieve your desires. You will NEVER feel peace. Your magic will wither until you are NOTHING."_

The yelling from both the crowd and from Harry stopped. Dumbledore had been distracted by the Slytherin students that had secretly set his robes on fire and by the surge of green tinted magic that settled across the older man like a cloak.

The crowd yelled again and Tom was forced to look away from Dumbledore when he felt Harry's exhilaration.

In the time that Harry had dropped the power of the dampening spell to find out what was wrong, he had spotted the snitch. The only thing he could think in that moment was to end the game so he could get back to the ground safely.

With the snitch struggling in his tightly grasped hand, after nearly falling off his broom from a sharp turn to avoid a the side of the stands, the game was over. His team had won and would move onto the final match.

For the rest of the day nothing else happened. Dumbledore had left the quidditch field in favor of returning to his private rooms in order to change out of his ruined robes. During the second match Tom took hold of Harry and refused to release him from his arms until it was time for the final match. When that time came Abraxas made Harry switch his broom with Abraxas' older Comet model; just to be safe.

As much as Harry would have loved it, his team did not win the final match. The snitch had been inches from his fingers when a bludger had collided with his side. The other team's seeker, a Ravenclaw, had caught the snitch and had ended the second year mock match.

Just about everyone had forgotten about the problem Harry had had with his broom during the first match. Harry knew that his broom had been cursed, and when Tom asked him about it Harry gave him as many details as he could.

There was one other person that hadn't forgotten about Harry's broom going crazy during his match.

"Malfoy. Black. May I speak with you both?"

Cyrus Rosier had been in the stands watching the matches, just as the other three quidditch captains had been. He'd been watching just as intently as Tom had and it hadn't taken a genius to realize that the loss of control hadn't been Harry's fault.

For a moment Harry and Orion looked at each other and shared a silent conversation. They had just turned in their practice gear and had been planning on heading back to the school to shower; since non team members weren't allowed to use the showers.

"Abraxas and I will wait by the exit." Tom said just loud enough for Rosier to hear him. They eyed each other and Rosier dropped his gaze to show his respect before Tom led Abraxas away.

"You two flew very well today. I was impressed." Rosier didn't waste time. "I'm not changing the team roster, we have a strong team this year, but I wanted to know if you both would like to take up the reserve positions for seeker and keeper."

Harry felt light headed as he was offered the chance to be a part of the Slytherin team. Orion was grinning like mad and nodding his head quickly.

"The likely hood of you both playing in an actual game is low, but you'll get to train with the team. If you do well you could be moved up from the reserve positions next year."

The question Harry had been asking himself came to mind; would he have time for quidditch practice?

"Normally the team practices three to four times a week, but reserve players only need to come to one practice a week." Rosier continued to explain since neither of the boys were telling him no yet. "I would prefer if you came to each practice, but I understand that school comes first."

Orion might have been willing to join immediately, but Harry need to at least speak with Tom first. "Can I give you my answer later?" Harry asked as he glanced over to where Tom and Abraxas were standing and waiting.

Rosier knew exactly what the youngest Malfoy was thinking. If he hadn't already asked Tom during the final match if it would be alright for Harry to join the team, Rosier would have waited.

Despite only being in his sixth year, Tom Marvolo Gaunt was the King of Slytherin. He was also the leader of the secret Knights of Walpurgis which Rosier was a part of.

"That is acceptable. First practice will be Tuesday evening after dinner." Rosier nodded to Harry before looking to Orion.

"I accept the reserve keeper position." Orion was having a hard time keeping himself from bouncing.

With a final nod of acceptance Rosier left both Orion and Harry.

News of the offer spread through Slytherin like wildfire. For the most part Harry tuned out the gossip that was going around in favor of really thinking about whether or not he should take the spot. Harry still didn't have a decision even as he and Tom secretly made their way down to the Chamber.

 _"You love flying."_ Tom pointed out as he and Harry entered the flooded chamber. They had come by the night previously to greet Senestra, but hadn't had much time to really tell her about how their summer had gone.

 _"I can fly without playing quidditch."_ Harry pointed out as he went over to the ancient Basilisk to give her snout a hug.

 _"Being on the team would give you more time with Orion."_ Tom kept his tone as neutral as possible as he made that point.

Harry hummed softly in thought. He didn't give a reply until he had climbed up on Senestra's neck so he could scratch at her scales there.

 _"But how much time would I have for other things?"_ Harry asked with a sigh. _"Between classes, homework, lessons with Sir Leighleas, and dueling practice with you..."_ He shook his head with a wince. "When will I have time for quidditch practice?"

Tom knew Harry had a point. Classes hadn't even started yet and already he knew Harry would have a busy schedule. Tom himself was going to be busy with increased Prefect duties on top of everything else he had to do.

They were both lucky that they were advance enough to not have to worry too much about their classwork.

On the other hand Tom did want Harry to be on the quidditch team. Rosier was one of his loyal followers, and one that he actually trusted. If Harry was on the quidditch team then that would put him under the watch of a loyal follower that would keep him safe.

Then again with what happened during the mock match Tom worried that something else might happen. Quidditch wasn't exactly a 'safe' game to play after all.

 _"You have some time to think about it. If you are still hesitating later, then turn down the position."_ Tom shrugged a little. _"It's not like you can't try out later._ "

That was true enough. Even if Harry didn't join the team, even as a reserve player, he could always try out when he was ready for the workload that being on the team would bring.

Sensing a lull in her Master's conversation, Senestra decided to speak up. _"I sensed something earlier._ " She turned her muted gaze to Tom as she spoke. _"You called on Slytherin's magic."_

 _"I did._ /" It made sense to Tom that Senestra would be able to sense such a thing. She was a Guardian of Hogwarts and had a direct connection to the magic that Salazar Slytherin had placed into the school.

 _"Dumbledore endangered Harry. So I cursed him."_

 _"It was Dumbledore then?_ " Harry sighed softly when Tom nodded. _"I thought so. His magic is too distinctive and disgusting to confuse with another persons'._ " Harry had been distracted holding onto his bucking broom to find out exactly who was cursing his broom.

Both Tom and Harry had heard Senestra when she was angry, but the hissing sound that she made then was like nothing they'd experienced last year. Her hissing started soft and built up until the sound filled the flooded chamber.

Strange green sparks dripped from her extended fangs onto the cold damp stones beneath her. The sparks disintegrated immediately upon landing, but after a few sparks the ground started glowing an eerie green.

 _"Senestra?"_ Tom eyed the green glow as it began to stretch out across the stone floor. He wasn't afraid of it, Senestra could not harm him in any sort of way seeing as how he was the Slytherin Heir and her Master, but he would always be leery of strange magic.

The glowing had almost filled the entire floor when suddenly it compressed and formed a long curved line that twisted squirmed until its movements resembled that of a snake. Tom was only able to get a good look at it for a moment before the glowing 2 dimensional snake shot off and darted into a crack in a far wall.

 _"Senestra. Explain."_

The hissing that Senestra had been making stopped abruptly and she blinked a few times before lowering her eyes in submission to Tom. _"I requested the Castle intervene with this 'Dumbledore'."_

 _"And will it?"_

If Senestra had shoulders, she would be shrugging them. _"We will have to wait and see. But if you can ever get this Dumbledore to me, I will ensure he never harms my hatchling again._ " Her fangs glimmered in the dim light as her venom dripped and formed a shallow pool beneath her.

The promise of death had Tom feeling lighter when he and Harry finally left the chamber just before curfew. Tom was exempt from curfew, but Harry wasn't.

Tom knew he would never be able to get Dumbledore down into the Chamber, but he felt better knowing that they had Senestra supporting and protecting them.

* * *

After a lot of thought, Harry decided to turn down the reserve seeker position. Rosier had been disappointed, but it wasn't like they absolutely _needed_ Harry. Rosier could count on one hand how many times they'd needed the reserve seeker to step in.

Harry's reasons were valid and Rosier could respect his decision. Since the current seeker was in his 7th year Rosier did offer to let Harry train with the team whenever he had spare time. The team captain was sure Harry would make an exceptional seeker one day.

Joining the team for some training every other week or so worked for Harry and he was glad to accept the offer.

Orion was more than excited to be on the team, even in a reserve position.

"I wish you had joined." Orion said for the hundredth time with a deep and dramatic sigh. "We'd get to spend so much time together!"

"Not really Orion." Harry was snickering softly and trying to hide a smile as Orion began leaning against his shoulder. "If I'd joined then the two of us would have been busy training. Hanging out is much more fun than sweating."

That didn't seem to satisfy Orion though so he continued to lean against Harry as if he were melting into his friend.

"You're going to knock Hadrian over." Eileen frowned at Orion even as the Black pre-teen glared at her and slung an arm over Harry's shoulder to keep him in place.

There was an odd fluttering in Harry's chest when Orion pressed closer against him. He could feel his cheeks heating up and it took all of Harry's self control not to fidget.

A surge of anger and dark energy rose up at the door leading into the great hall and Harry's head whipped around in surprise. The doorway was empty, but Harry knew he had just felt Tom there.

"I have to go." Harry pushed Orion away until the other boy let go. "I'll see you guys back in the common room."

That anger that Harry had felt; it'd been sudden and overwhelming. There was only one person Harry could sense emotions from so the anger had to have been coming from Tom.

When harry went looking for his oldest and closest friend though, he found that Tom had masked his location. Harry could still sense his magic, he knew Tom was somewhere in the castle, but Harry couldn't narrow his location down.

"Tom..."

Why had Tom been so angry so suddenly? Had someone said something or done something before Tom arrived for dinner?

Harry ended up at the top of the astronomy tower. Since they were still in early September, the air wasn't too cold yet.

He still couldn't find Tom though. The only places Harry could think of where Tom could be were the Chamber and the Room. Since the Room was closer Harry turned to head that way.

Later Harry would realize how lucky he had been while wandering around. He'd slipped away from the Slytherin table before any of the older students had noticed and he'd completely forgotten about having someone with him at all times in case Dumbledore were to show up.

Perhaps it was less luck and more of a coincidence that Harry arrived at the Room without any problems.

The fact that there was already a door available for Harry to go through didn't register in Harry's mind until he had slipped inside and the door had clicked shut behind him.

Harry had been expecting the training room that he and Tom had spent so much time in, but instead Harry found himself in a circular stone room with four empty portraits lining the walls. There was a single empty window that let a gentle cool breeze into the room.

"Tom?" There were no other doors than the one behind him and no real place for a person to hide. Thinking that perhaps the Room had made a mistake, Harry turned and tried to open the door leading back into the 7th floor hall.

A melodic trill stopped Harry, his hand just barely grasping the door latch.

Slowly Harry turned his head to look behind him only to frown when he found nothing there. Carefully, Harry lowered the strength on the dampening charm, but he only saw the magic of Hogwarts sparkling around him.

Taking a deep breath to center himself, Harry turned and marched right into the center of the room. "Whose there?" He called out as he slowly turned.

The portraits were empty so it was possible that the thing he had heard had come from one of the portraits. But the portraits were empty of both scenery and life.

"I'm going to have to leave if you don't show yourself." Harry called out as he turned in a slow circle. He wasn't scared; not when the only thing he could sense was Hogwarts. The school would never harm a student such as himself.

When the trilling sound came back Harry spun around instantly to glare out the only window. Knowing that he knew enough magic wandlessly, Harry chose not to grab his wand. His wandless magic tended to be faster anyway.

Harry's hands dropped to his side and his jaw went slack as the creature that had been singing came to rest on the windowsill. Out of all of the creatures in the world, what he saw was one of the last things he would have ever expected.

Sitting there, with feathers glimmering gold and a brilliant red, it's neck curved gracefully and its head turned to one side so Harry had to stare into a pitch black gaze, was a phoenix.

"Two take to the air. Two have a magical stare." Those were two of the hints that the riddle had given Harry. A phoenix didn't have a magical stare _exactly_ , but Harry had read about how the tears of a phoenix could heal any wound. "You're a Guardian."

The phoenix preened a little in pride before dipping its head in either a nod or a bow.

Harry didn't know what to say or do. He'd been comfortable with Senestra because he could speak with her, but how would he be able to communicate with a phoenix?

 _'Quite easily actually'_

Although no words were spoken into the air, Harry could hear a soft voice within his mind. Since the phoenix was the only other living creature in the room it was safe for Harry to assume it was the phoenix speaking to him.

 _'You remind me of Godric.'_ There was a tinge of sadness in the Phoenix's voice. _'So curious, so brave, so loyal. But there's some mischievousness there as well.'_

"You're the Guardian of Gryffindor then?" Harry was grinning widely. If Gryffindor's guardian was here then maybe Harry would get to speak with the last two soon. He found himself moving closer to the phoenix until he was close enough to reach out. His hand froze mid reach to gently stroke those red feathers. Harry bit his lip and pulled his hand back to hold it against his chest.

 _'You may touch me.'_

Harry held his breath as he reached out once more. Just his finger tips made contact with those feathers, but that was enough. The feathers were warm, as if the phoenix had just been in front of a gently burning fire, and they were as soft and smooth as silk.

 _'It is interesting. You are a descendant of my Godric, but you are not his heir.'_ The phoenix tilted its head as it considered Harry. _'The current heir left Hogwarts several years ago and I can sense he still lives._ '

"Oh..." Harry bit his lip and let his hand drop so that it was resting on the windowsill next to the phoenix. "That might be because I'm not from here."

He found himself telling the phoenix about his life, about the time travel and how he had been adopted into the Malfoy family. It was a long story and by the time Harry was done he was sitting in the center of the room with the phoenix resting on his raised knee.

 _'You have been very brave living through what you have.'_ The phoenix had been silent throughout the story until Harry finished. _'As much as I feel you would be worthy, I can not connect you to Godric's magic within Hogwarts.'_

"That's ok. I don't really want it. I just want to meet all the Guardians." Harry wasn't like Tom; he didn't want power, he just wanted to enjoy life.

The phoenix tilted its head in confusion and its black eyes seemed to stare right into Harry's soul. _'You are a strange one Harry Potter, but I suppose that is to be expected. You are Godric's descendant after all.'_ All of the Gryffindor heirs had been strange in some way.

As if it had made up its mind, the phoenix nodded its graceful head. _'I will grant you a boon. Although you cannot control it, if you are ever in need or find yourself in danger, you may call for me and I will do what I can with Godric's magic to help you.'_ The phoenix only ever gave its name to those that it deemed worthy.

 _'Just call out for Fawkes.'_

The phoenix, Fawkes, left after that. Harry watched, mesmerized as Fawkes spread his gorgeous flame colored wings and lifted into the air with powerful thrusts. A strong breeze filled the circular stone room as Fawkes flipped around to soar right out of the only window, singing his beautiful and hypnotizing song the entire time.

It took a few minutes before Harry was able to collect himself and shake off the residue of the phoenix song. He stood up feeling stronger, centered, and ready to face down just about any enemy that could possibly be beyond the door.

He still had to find Tom after all and Harry didn't exactly know how long he had been in the room speaking with Fawkes. He was pretty sure he had missed dinner at least.

With new determination Harry left the Room of Requirement and marched down the hall to continue his search for Tom.

Harry didn't have to look for long. Apparently he'd been gone long enough that Tom's anger had cooled off so he'd returned to the Slytherin dorms to speak with Harry only to find him missing.

He'd scrambled his followers and the other older Slytherin students that at least listened to Tom in order to find Harry. It was Alf Mulciber that found Harry riding the moving staircases down.

"You're in serious trouble Harry." Alf whispered as he quickly caught up to Harry to escort him down to the dorms. "Tom is in a right state with worry. He knows you're alright, but you know he doesn't want you to wander around alone."

"I was only on my own because I went looking for him." Harry responded, but Alf didn't seem to hear him.

In fact Alf didn't seem to notice anything except where they were going. This was probably the first time Harry had seen Alf so serious and quiet.

"Finally!" They were almost to the Slytherin common room when the entrance opened quickly to reveal Tom striding out. His emotions were tightly controlled and sealed so Harry had a hard time figuring out what Tom was feeling.

"Thank you Mulciber. Send a message out that Harry has been found."

Tom's eyes never left Harry even as he grabbed the younger pre-teen by the shoulder and dragged him towards the secret passage to the Chamber of Secrets. The two didn't even make it to the chamber though. As soon as the secret entrance was sealed shut Tom turned to Harry.

"Where have you _been?_ " Tom's words were so close to actual hisses that they sounded almost like parseltongue. "You've been gone for hours! Black and Prince say you left after dinner started."

Just the thought of what Tom had seen when he'd first walked into the great hall had his anger and jealousy rearing up. He was barely able to seal it away before Harry could catch it.

"I was worried about you." The courage from the phoenix song was still singing through Harry so he was able to stand tall under Tom's red glare. "You were so angry and you left so fast that I was worried something had happened. I went to find you."

"You should have taken someone with you." Tom's teeth were grinding against each other has he forced himself not to let Harry become the target of his rage.

Harry frowned deeply as he watched Tom. By Tom's body language Harry knew he was angry, but even with the dampening charm at its weakest setting Harry could only barely pick up on Tom's emotions.

The dampening charm had been spelled so that Tom wouldn't be blocked at all, so why was Harry having such trouble now?

"I forgot. I'm sorry." He didn't feel sorry, but Harry knew if he didn't apologize then Tom would only get more upset.

It took several deep breaths before Tom was able to get himself under control. He felt like he had been yelling, but Tom knew his voice had stayed at it's normal level.

"Just...don't do that again." Tom closed his eyes and rubbed at them tiredly. When he opened them again the red had receded so that it was barely rings around the black of his eyes.

Seeing that Tom had calmed down, Harry decided to take a chance he normally wouldn't have taken. "Why were you so angry Tom?" He asked quickly before his courage could leave him.

Of course Harry would ask him that. The younger boy had no idea how seeing Orion hanging all over Harry would upset Tom. Harry had no idea just how deeply Tom felt for him.

Maybe Abraxas was right and Tom should speak with Harry about his feelings, but seeing Harry looking up at Tom with such worry in his eyes made him stop. Harry was a boy. He was too young to understand deeper emotions such as the ones Tom was feeling.

And Tom still had no idea how to describe what it was he felt without having to rely on that ridiculous word 'love'.

"It's nothing for you to worry about right now Harry." Tom felt his anger fading when Harry reached out to take his hand. "I'll tell you when I have a better understanding of what happened."

Those words were as good as a promise from Tom and Harry was willing to let it go for now. "Please don't disappear like that again." Harry looked down at where he was holding Tom's one hand in his two. "I searched everywhere for you, but I couldn't find you. It scared me."

The two were quiet for several long minutes. What little anger Tom had still felt vanished. He knew Harry was telling the truth, he could see it in the way those light green eyes shimmered.

By running off and shutting off his connection to Harry, Tom had inadvertently scared Harry and caused the younger boy to run around without protection.

If Harry had gotten hurt it would have been Tom's fault.

With a sigh Tom opened the way out of the secret passage they were in and led the way out. "I won't do that again Harry." He said softly as the two of them returned to the Slytherin common room. "I promise."

The tension Harry had been feeling in his chest eased and he smiled a little up at Tom. As he was tackled by Orion and Eileen, Harry completely forgot to tell Tom about Fawkes.

* * *

Harry only remembered to tell Tom about Fawkes and everything that had happened a few days later when he returned to the Room to spend some alone time with Tom.

It was a conversation that Tom had not particularly liked. He had to keep reminding himself that Harry hadn't gotten hurt and that spending time with the phoenix had kept Harry out of any potential trouble.

The fact that Harry was related to Godric Gryffindor, but not his heir, did trouble Tom a little bit though.

"Sometimes I wounder if you're a niffler and trouble is your gold."

Harry could only grin up at Tom. The two of them were reclining on the couch in front of the large fireplace that the Room had provided.

"It is one of my most redeeming qualities." Harry's legs were swinging over the edge of the armrest while his head was resting on Tom's lap.

Tom snorted softly. "That and your inability to run away from danger."

"You know," Harry's eyes were starting to close as Tom began running his fingers through his hair. "I would have thought the Gryffindor Guardian would be a Griffin."

Tom shook his head and rolled his eyes. "That would have been too obvious. But then again," He rubbed at his chin with his other hand for a moment. "With how oblivious most Gryffindors are, they probably need all the hints they can get."

"Ha ha Tom." Harry batted at the hand running through his hair. "I could have been in Gryffindor you know."

"Thank Mother Magic for minor miracles."

* * *

Special thanks to: Louise to and Deb


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I do not own HP.

A/N: This chapter gave me a lot of trouble. There was just so much that I wanted to put into this chapter, but it just would not cooperate. Sorry for it being so late.

* * *

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 26: A Demiguise, a Date, and an Attack

No matter how often Harry went to visit Senestra, or how many times he was able to speak to Fawkes, neither Guardian would give him any information on the two he had yet to meet.

Every time Harry would ask, Senestra would shake her head and tell him that the last two would make themselves known when the time was right. Fawkes on the other hand would just laugh and keep his beak closed about the subject.

Much to Harry's annoyance.

Tom on the other hand was glad that Harry wasn't making any headway with his search for the final two guardians. Even though Harry was often in a grumpy mood most of the time, he was often too busy trying to find answers to get into any real trouble.

Which was a good thing since Dumbledore had backed off on trying to corner Harry after the winter holidays. In fact the older man had gotten so quiet in his activities that Tom felt his paranoia getting stronger.

It definitely didn't help that the oaf Hagrid had somehow gotten himself an apprenticeship with the Grounds keeper.

Dumbledore may have stopped following Harry around, but Hagrid always seemed to appear whenever Harry went outside for any length of time. The half-giant never approached Harry, but he was always within eye sight.

Tom did not like it at all.

So to prepare for his final year, Tom began to work in earnest to gather followers from all the houses. The most surprising thing was that the bulk of his new followers turned out to be half-bloods and muggle borns.

The results of the interviews from the previous year had come to fruition. Not all muggle born and half-blood students were abused, but a large amount were. By winter of Harry's second year a new law had been passed.

The law would create a new branch in the ministry for the welfare and protection of muggle raised children. The moment magic was detected near muggles, a ministry official would be sent out to investigate; even if it was accidental magic. If it was found that the child was being raised by a muggle parent or guardian then the ministry official would make contact with the parents.

They would interview the family, especially the child, and find out of any abuse was taking place. If non was found then the child would be left to the care of their family, but a ministry official would make periodic visits to ensure the child's safety.

If abuse was found then the child would immediately be removed from the muggles and the memories of the muggles would be changed so that they believed their child had died. Then the child would be placed with a magical family.

It was a start.

At least half of the muggle born, and a few half-blood, children currently attending Hogwarts would be moving in with magical families starting that summer.

All of the muggle born children knew the Malfoy family had played a large part in the creation and passing of the law. Those that had been abused felt a debt of gratitude to the Malfoy family and were very willing to do just about anything Tom asked of them.

Tom had made it very clear to his pure-blood followers that the muggle born followers would be welcomed and treated with respect. They were willing to let go of their muggle heritage in favor of their magical, and that fact would help to protect the ancient traditions that had been slowly disappearing because of the growing muggle influence.

There were a few of his followers that were having a difficult time with the change, but they quickly fell in line when they realized just how angry Tom could get for disobedience.

By the time the end of the school year arrived, Tom's followers had quadrupled.

* * *

"Are you ready to go Myrtle?" Harry asked as the Hogwarts Express began slowing down as it approached Kings Cross station.

Myrtle Warren was one of the many muggle born children that had been taken into custody by the ministry. At Harry's request the elder Malfoy's had agreed to take her in.

It was a difficult transition for Myrtle. She was thankful to be away from her abusive father, but she had dearly loved her mother. She had asked if she could say goodbye one last time to her mother, but it'd been too late. Myrtle's parents, like may other muggle parents, had been charmed to believe their daughter had died during a Nazi air raid.

The parents of muggle borns would forget that their children had been magical. They would forget that their children had gone off for most of the year to a magical boarding school.

"I suppose so Harry." Myrtle's eyes were a little watery as the train pulled up to the platform. She looked out at the parents waiting with a small bit of hope that her mother would be waiting there like she had always done in the past.

"Come on." Harry took Myrtle's hand while Orion took her other hand so that the Ravenclaw girl would have their full support.

Since Eileen's parents had opened up one of the Prince estates in Northern Wales, many of the other muggle borns and half-bloods would be relocated there for the summer.

"I'll be sure to write every day." Eileen told her friends as they exited the train. "I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to convince mother and father to let us visit the Malfoy estate for tea." It was a tradition by that point for their peers to get together at least once a week at the Malfoy home during the summer.

With so many children being relocated, several ministry officials were there to assist in keeping things organized.

"Hadrian darling!"

Harry found himself swept up in his adoptive mother's arms the moment he was close enough. The hug lasted for what felt like an eternity before Mrs. Malfoy released him to scoop up Orion for a quick hug.

"You must be Miss Warren." Mrs. Malfoy smiled warmly and reached out to give Myrtle a gentle hug. "Hadrian has told us so much about you. I hope you can feel at home with us."

They had to wait until all of the children that were staying with the Malfoy's were gathered and then for Tom to finish with his prefect duties. Mr. Malfoy quickly shrunk down all the luggage and trunks to make travelling easier.

With the help of the ministry officials, travel off the platform and through the floo moved quickly and soon enough the large group were safely away at the Malfoy Manor.

"Rooms haven't changed for most of you." Mrs. Malfoy told the dozen children that had been staying with them for the past few years. "Go and get settled. The house elves will get you for dinner."

Mr. Malfoy handed the shrunken trunks and luggage to the elves, who quickly vanished to take everything to their proper places.

"Miss Warren, you'll be staying in the family wing." Mrs. Malfy was smiling warmly at the young girl again. Most of the other children had been given rooms in the guest wing of the manor.

Myrtle's cheeks turned pink and blotchy as she fiddled with her worn jumper. "Thank you mam."

"None of that now." Mrs. Malfoy waved a hand through the air. "This will be your home from now on so call me Aunt Meri."

As much as Mrs. Malfioy would have liked for the 13 year old to call her mum, she knew it would probably be too soon for the poor girl. Her family may be alive, but they were lost to Myrtle now and Demeri Malfoy would not push the girl to something she was uncomfortable with.

Perhaps in the future, after Myrtle grew comfortable with her new home, they could discuss adoption. After all, Mrs. Malfoy had always wanted a large family.

"I'll take Myrtle to her room mum." Harry offered with a big grin. He was still holding onto Myrtle's hand while Orion had hurried off to his room to unpack.

"Thank you Hadrian dear."

The room that the elder Malfoy's had chosen for Myrtle was right next to Harry's room. It had been decorated in soft pastel blues and creams since Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy had no idea what the girl would prefer.

"Oh!"

Harry couldn't help but wonder if his reaction had been like Myrtle's when he had first seen his room after finding a home with the Malfoy's. There were stars in her eyes as she looked at the large bed, the bookcases lining the walls, the fireplace, and the sitting area to one side of the room.

"You have your own bathroom and a walk in closet." Harry walked over to one of the doors and opened it to reveal the large closet with a full length mirror inside. "Mother will most likely take you clothes shopping soon."

"Mother has always wanted a daughter to dote on." Abraxas was leaning against the door frame with a smirk and his arms crossed over his chest. "At least you aren't the youngest. Harry still holds the title of the baby of the family."

Harry pouted and glared at his older brother.

"If you need anything Myrtle, we are here for you." After helping both Tom and Harry settle into the family, Abraxas was fairly sure he would be able to help the muggle born girl as well.

"Thank you." Myrtle was twisting her fingers together shyly.

"Come on. Harry and I will give you a tour before dinner." Abraxas smiled kindly at the younger girl and nodded for her to follow him. "I'm sure you'd love to see the library first."

Harry had been teasing Myrtle with information about the Malfoy library for days and Myrtle was all too willing to follow after the oldest Malfoy child. She was a Ravenclaw after all, and a library with old family tomes was something that most Ravenclaw students would kill to explore.

Needless to say, the second Myrtle was in the library she was gone. There was no way Abraxas or Harry could get her out from the stacks of books until dinner.

The rest of the summer went by like that for the group of children that inhabited the Malfoy manor. Myrtle and the other more 'intellectual' children hid out in the library while Harry, Orion, and the other more physical children were often on brooms flying around outside.

That summer, between second and third year for Harry, was also the summer when he started to realize that he was physically attracted to people.

At first he thought it was just Orion, with his snarky smile and classically handsome looks, but Harry realized that Eileen also made him blush and feel hot in ways that he never really thought about before whenever she came to visit.

Eileen never really seemed to notice Harry's nervous embarrassment whenever she was around, but Orion was acutely aware of Harry's emotions.

As was Tom.

Tom was the one that interrupted all the gatherings that Mrs. Malfoy put together. He was the one that would shadow Harry whenever Harry was around Orion and Eileen.

Harry was oblivious to what his oldest and closest friend was doing. Orion on the other hand was becoming frustrated. Every time he tried to flirt with Harry, Tom was there to interrupt them. Tom would pull Harry away whenever Orion even tried to get close to Harry.

It got the point that Orion actually went to Eileen for help. The Prince girl had no idea how to help her friend though; she honestly was not interested in romance.

The only advice Eileen was able to actually give Orion had to do with waiting until Tom couldn't interrupt. With how they were practically stuck in Malfoy Manor for the entire summer, the opportunity was not available.

Thankfully they were going into their third year and third years were given the opportunity to go to Hogsmeade; which gave many young teens the chance to go on dates.

It was the easiest thing in the world for Harry to get his Hogsmead permission slip signed by his adoptive parents. In fact he hadn't even had to say anything. The moment the school letters arrived that year, Drake and Demeri Malfoy signed any forms that needed their attentions before the children could hand them the forms.

The Malfoy matron did give all of the 13 year olds a lecture on proper decorum while out in public without any adults to act as chaperones. That had been a rather embarrasing conversation for a number of reasons. The awkwardness only got worse when Mr. Malfoy took the boys aside to give them 'the Talk'.

Harry's obvious discomfirt after the 'Talk' became a source of entertainment for the girls in the Malfoy Manor. Myrtle especially enjoyed teasing Harry whenever it was just the two of them.

"You know Harry dear," Myrtle purred one afternoon near the end of Summer. "This isn't the best hiding place."

Harry was hiding in the library with Myrtle to avoid his parents and a few of the girls that had taken to giggling and smiling coyly at him. He would never admit it, but he was also hiding from Orion.

"Sure it is Myrtle." Harry grinned at her as he lowered the book on counter curses he'd been reading. "It's such a nice day that no one would come inside to look for me. Everyone will think I'm out flying."

Many of the others their age were out flying. Orion being one of them.

"You could just talk to him you know." Myrtle ignored the confused look that Harry gave her. "Orion is quite smitten with you. It's very cute."

Harry's cheeks turned a bright red and he instantly burried his face into the book. "I-It's not like that Myrtle."

The older girl giggled at the flushed and stuttering dark haired boy. "I know you like him too." She cooed with a rather sneaky grin.

"Myrtle!" The last thing Harry needed was for the Ravenclaw girl to get in the middle of his confused feelings.

"Oh shush." Myrtle's giggles turned into laughter as Harry began to sputter and deny his feelings. "I'm serious though Harry. If you like him, talk to him."

* * *

Despite Myrtle's advice all summer, it wasn't until the first of September that Harry even attempted to talk to Orion about his possible feelings. Even though Harry did feel his heart flutter around Orion, something held him back from talking to his friend. It wasn't even Harry that broached the subject; it was Orion

The moment they were in the train and Tom and Abraxas were gone, seeing as how Tom had been made Head Boy and Abraxas the 7th year Prefect for Slytherin, that Orion made his move.

"Harry."

Orion was standing so close to Harry that he could feel the heat coming from his friend's body.

"Yes Orion?"

Eileen hadn't arrived yet so this was the best chance Orion would have to make his move. "You know how we can go to Hogsmeade this year?" He waited until Harry nodded before taking a deep breath and putting his most charming smile on. "We should go."

"Well yeah, of course we're going to go." Harry frowned at his friend when Orion shook his head.

"I mean together."

Maybe he was unconciously trying to be oblivious to Orion's offer, but Harry couldn't help but look at his friend in confusion.

"Why wouldn't we go together? It'd be weird if we went alone."

Orion groaned mentally. Of course Harry wouldn't understand the invitation. Sure Orion hadn't been able to flirt all that much during the summer, to which he cursed Tom for his almost constant presence around Harry, but he hadn't exactly been subtle.

"You're right. But maybe we can go, just us? Without the girls." Maybe his friend just wasn't ready for dating. If that was the case Orion would need to carefully get Harry used to the idea of them going out together.

There was a long silent pause as Orion waited for an answer from Harry. It took all of his pureblood control not to prod at Harry.

"That could be fun."

The answer was innocent enough, but Orion snapped it up as if it were the only cup of water in a barren desert.

"Great! We can go as a group for the first Hogsmeade trip, but then it can be just us for the second trip." It wasn't like the Hogsmeade trips happened every single weekend so Orion would have plenty of time to get Harry warmed up to the idea of them going out on a date.

Harry was doing his best to keep his mental turmoil to himself so that it wouldn't leak into the bond he had with Tom. He felt flustered and wasn't quite sure why. Myrtle had teased Harry all summer about his 'crush' on Orion, but Harry hadn't really thought much about the possible romantic feelings he had for his friend.

Now though he couldn't seem to stop the rebellious thoughts of what a date with Orion could be like. Orion was his friend and he wasn't about to ruin their friendship by doing something like asking to go out on a date.

Add to it the little voice in the back of Harry's mind that kept telling him that going out on a date with Orion wouldn't work out in the long run.

Thankfully Harry didn't have to think about his potential feelings for Orion seeing as how Myrtle had found Eileen had had brought her into the compartment.

Their group had gathered together by the time the train had left the station.

"So what classes did you choose Hadrian?" Bannrhine asked once everyone settled into their seats.

"I added Study of Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures, and Arithmancy." His schedule would be very full, but Harry was sure that he would be able to handle it. It wasn't like he was particularly worried about his core studies seeing as how he knew the material up to fifth year.

He had been tempted to take Divination, but Sir Leighleas had told him that the class would interfere with Hary's sensitivity and dream visions too much.

So Tom had nixed the idea and had instead pushed Harry towards Arithmancy.

The class that Harry really wanted to take wouldn't be available until he had proved himself proficient with Ancient Runes and his other core classes. Spell crafting was a class that required Outstandings in Transfiguration, Charms, and Ancient Runes.

"I don't know why you're taking Care of Magical Creatures Bann," Persephone sighed heavily. "I mean your father is the greatest magizoologist ever. You probably know more than our professor."

Bannrhine smiled a little in embarrassment. During the last year he had regaled his new companions with stories of all the creatures he had helped his father with growing up. "I still need to take the class if I want to go for a mastery one day."

"Classes. Masteries. Bah!" Orion kicked out his feet and slumped down in his seat. "Who cares about all that right now?! We're still kids. Let's enjoy life while we can."

"Easy for you to say." Rupert frowned deeply at Orion. "You're the Black heir. You don't have to do anything since your life is all set."

Silence descended among the third and fourth years for several long minutes. Orion's eyes were closed and it seemed as if he had fallen asleep.

Only Harry knew how much Orion hated being the Black heir. His friend knew all the Pureblood customs and niceties, but Harry knew that Orion hated how constraining being the heir to a Lordship was.

Orion had confided in Harry some time ago about the private lessons his father had given him growing up. He had to learn finances along with all the ridiculous decorum that had been drilled into him. Orion had also lamented the fact that he probably wouldn't get to have a choice in who he married once he was finished with school.

"Did anyone remember to bring a deck of cards?" Eileen broke the tense silence and she smiled when Myrtle quickly grabbed the cards out of her bag. "Oh good!"

As the others got involved with what games to play, Harry scooted closer to Orion.

"You alright?" Harry whispered worriedly.

For a moment Harry thought that Orion really had fallen asleep. But then Orion opened his eyes slightly to look at Harry.

"I'll be fine." When Harry's brows scrunched together in worry, Orion sighed and slipped an arm out to hug around Harry's shoulders. "Really. I'll be fine."

Despite Orion's words and the smile that he gave his friend, Harry still worried. He wanted his friends to be happy and since Harry wouldn't be able to do much once they were all out of school, Harry was determined to make their time in Hogwarts as enjoyable as possible.

* * *

The morning after the welcome feast found Harry and Tom in the Hospital wing with Sir Leighleas in the man's office.

"Your occlumancy is strong enough now that I think we can start working on controlling your sensitivity."

For the past hour Sir Leighleas had been testing Harry's mental controls and shields. Harry wasn't a master, not by a long shot and Sir Leighleas doubted the boy would ever master the mind art, but Harry would at least be able to protect himself from most mind spells.

Where Harry would only ever be an average occlumens, Tom would have no trouble mastering the difficult mind art.

It was important for Harry to be able to guard his mind before learning how to actively control his natural magical sensitivty.

"The training for controling your sensitivity is very similar to occlumency training." Sir Leighleas explained as he got up where he'd been sitting on the floor in front of Harry to pour tea for them. "We'll start with meditation and entering your mind scape. Once there we will take the next step and slip past your mind scape to enter your magical core."

Tom was sitting on the couch as he listened. Even though he didn't have Harry's sensitivity, the lessons the mediwizard gave his young friend would be useful to him as well.

"Remember how careful we were when first entering your mind scape?" When Sir Leighleas received a nod from Harry, he continued. "We have to be even more careful with your magical core."

There were so many things that could go wrong when working with ones magical core. One wrong move and a wizard could find their link to their magic broken; effectively making them into squibs.

"At first we'll just skim the surface to get a feel for your core. Once you are able to touch the surface of your core without any resistance we'll move forward."

"Thank you for teaching me Sir Leighleas." Harry felt a little tired from fighting off the mediwizard's attacks on his mental shields, but he was doing a lot better than he had the previous year.

A small smile graced the auburn haired man. His brown eyes were almost sad though as he accepted Harry's thanks.

"I want you to continue with your meditation practices. We'll start your new lessons next week once you're settled into your new schedule." With a weary sigh Sir Leighleas took a seat in the tall wingback chair that was across from the couch.

Harry got up from the floor to sit next to Tom seeing as how they appeared to be done with lessons for the time being.

"I wanted to talk to you both about this year." Sir Leighleas looked tired and almost frail as he craddled his warm tea cup in his hands. "I am worried about what Dumbledore has planned."

"How so?" Tom's eyes narrowed as he frowned at the mediwizard that had taken such a keen interest in them.

Sir Leighleas swirled the dark liquid around in his tea cup for a moment. "I am not a full seer. I only have flashes of visions and not all of them come out clearly." Both boys already knew this abou thim, but it was important for Sir Leighleas to remind them. "He's planning something. A test of sorts I think in order to guage just how strong Harry is."

Tom growled softly and his black eyes shifted to red for a moment. "Excuse my language sir, but why the HELL is that insane old codger so fixated on Harry?"

"I wish I knew. I really do."

There was so much rage boiling inside of Tom. When he had attended Hogwarts during his first few years, Dumbledore had shown interest in him. After his third year though Dumbledore had backed off from Tom. Now he the old many just watched Tom with a wary eye.

But Harry? It was like Dumbledore couldn't get enough of the green eyed boy.

A small whimper from the smaller boy next to Tom shook the Head Boy from his rage. He hadn't realized it, but his anger had been bleeding through the bond to Harry.

"I'm sorry Harry." Tom murmered as he wrapped his arms around Harry's shoulders to hold him close.

"I'll do everything I can to protect you."

Safety and affection quickly filled the bond, replacing the rage that had been there before. It comforted Harry and he found himself closing his eyes and relaxing in Tom's arms within seconds.

Sir Leighleas gave the two a few minutes to find comfort in each other before he cleared his throat to get their attention.

"We will be stepping up your dueling lessons."

Last year had mostly been about learning theory and manuevers for Harry while Tom had focused on advanced spells and counter spells.

"I want to teach you both how to use knives as well."

"Knives?" Tom frowned and his nose wrinkled ever so slightly. They had magic, why would they need to learn how to handle knives?

"Daggers. Knives. For throwing and close combat." Sir Leighleas looked at Tom cooly as he explained. "There will be times in your lives where you'll find yourselves without your wands. Wandless magic will be useful, but a dagger being buried into a person's chest or side will always disturb your opponent."

"Which would give us the upper hand." Tom mused. Now that he thought about it having an alternative weapon would be extremely useful. He could see where Sir Leighleas was going with this.

Sir Leighleas nodded. "Daggers can also be useful for carving runes into your surroundings when you need to set untraceable traps."

Harry didn't much like the idea of using dangerous weapons, but he was determined to learn. He had made a promise to himself that he would become stronger so he could protect his friends and loved ones.

He would never allow anyone to overpower him again if he could help it.

"How often have your dream visions been Hadrian?" Sir Leighleas asked once he and Tom were done discussing the particulars about the new dueling lessons.

Harry blinked in surprise when the conversation was directed back to him. "Um..." He glanced at Tom and chewed on his lip.

"I...I don't know." He answered truthfully. "My dreams are so real most nights I can't really tell if they're visions or not."

Sir Leighleas made a noise in his throat as he thought about what Harry had told him. He knew what it was like to have confusing dreams at Harry's age. His own seer abilities had started to really develop in his own early teens.

"When we start working on your sensitivity control, your dreams will come to you more often." Sir Leighleas warned gently. "It is possible that you may develop into an actual seer if you continue your training."

Would Harry want that? To become a seer? The dream visions he'd had back during the Blitz had been so horrible and graphic that Harry honestly feared having more visions.

"It is your choice Hadrian." Sir Leighleas' voice was soothing and soft to comfort the young boy. "It is possible that by learning to control your sensitivity you can learn how to control your visions as well." Sir Leighleas had fairly decent control over his own abilities.

Only particularly strong visions could really get through his occlumency shields anymore.

Harry knew how important it was for him to learn to control his sensitivity. Without the charm he wore, the magic around him would be constantly overwhelming Harry. It would only get worse as Harry grew older and his magic became stronger.

"Just think on it Hadrian. You have time and we have other things for you to learn in the mean time."

Tom and Harry spent enough time discussing things with Sir Leighleas that they ended up havign lunch with the mediwizard in his office.

"If you need anything, either of you, please come to me." Sir Leighleas smiled ever so slightly as he escorted Tom and Harry out of the Hospital wing. He had grown fond of the two and would do what he could to watch over them.

"Thank you sir." Harry grinned and waved before he and Tom left.

Tom and Harry passed by a group of first years that were desperately exploring the castle so they wouldn't get lost on Monday. One of the younger girls giggled and Tom flashed his most charming smile at her.

For some reason seeing Tom smile at the girl had Harry scowling.

"Are you alright Harry?"

Harry quickly schooled his face and he let out a small sigh. "Just thinking about this year." How was he to explain to Tom that he didn't like seeing his oldest friend smiling at other people?

For years it had been Harry's job to bring smiles to Tom's lips. It had been his job to make Tom happy. And Harry had taken his job very seriously.

Tom didn't quite believe Harry's little lie. Even with the occlumancy training Harry hadn't really gotten used to hiding his stronger emotions from their bond. Over the past couple years Tom had grown accustomed to what jealousy felt like. For a moment that was exactly what Tom had felt through their bond.

"Alright Harry." He wouldn't push things though.

"Harry!" As they made it down to the dungeons they found themselves suddenly accousted by Eileen and Orion. "There you are. Professor Slughorn wants to see us."

With a chuckle Tom patted Harry's shoulder in sympathy. "I'll see you at dinner then."

As it turned out the potions professor had wanted to talk to the trio about putting together another Samhain party for the first and second years. They'd done such a great job before that he wanted them to continue planning the parties for the next few years.

Eileen was beside herself in joy; she'd been raised to be a Lady and with that came planning parties and gatherings. Surprisingly enough Orion was interested in the responsibility as well. With his two friends wanting to do as asked, Harry ended up agreeing as well.

And so new year of school started and Harry found himself with no time to worry about Dumbledore even as the older professor continued to watch him closely.

* * *

"I can't believe we don't get to go to the party we planned." Orion complained as the trio of friends finished decorating the large room.

"Professor Slughorn invited us to the one he's throwing." Eileen frowned at Orion as he hid an empty box under a table. "I don't see why you're upset. All our friends will be there."

"But adults will be there."

Harry smiled fondly as his two friends bickered back and forth. "You two realize you sound like an old married couple right?"

That stopped Orion and Eileen mid argument. Eileen sputtered and turned several shades of red before turning back to the last of the decorations she was putting up while Orion just gave Harry a funny look.

The party wouldn't actually happen for several hours so while Orion and Eileen were busy getting over Harry's comment, Harry went off to go and find Tom down in the chamber.

A sharp pain in Harry's chest stopped him as he descended the hidden staircase. He rubbed at his chest with a frown before shrugging and continuing on. The pain faded after awhile and he had completely forgotten about by the time he'd made it down to the Chamber.

 _"Hello hatchling."_

 _"Hi Senestra!_ " Harry had gotten so good climbing up onto the basilisks back that he was scratching under her horns before she could say anything else.

The two settled into a comfortable silence for severa long minutes before the ancient magical snake spoke.

 _"There is a strange scent on you."_ Her tongue flickered out a few times to taste the air. "I do not like it."

Harry looked down at himself and sniffed slightly. He didn't smell anything.

 _"She is right."_ Ladon hissed as he poked out from under Harry's sleeve. _"But it is new. It wasn't there earlier._ "

The little black snakes' tongue darted out against Harry's wrist, tickling the spot as he took in Harry's scent. Ladon's senses weren't as fine tuned as Senestra's, but he was completely attuned to Harry so any small change would be obvious.

 _"I'll go talk to Tom then_." Harry knew Tom would be able to figure out what was going on.

Harry had only just gotten down from Senestra when the pain in his chest returned much stronger this time. It had him sinking down to his knees, groaning, and clutching his chest.

 _"Hatchling!"_ The putrid scent that had barely been cleaning to Harry doubled and Senestra quickly coiled around Harry to try and protect him from whatever unseen force was attacking.

"Harry!"

Later Harry would wonder if maybe it'd been luck or coincidence that what had happened, happened while Tom was close by.

It felt like someone had grabbed onto Harry's heart and was attempting to yank him through a very tight space. The only thing that felt similar was apparition, but it never hurt as much as this did.

"T-Tom." Harry's voice echoed in his own ears. He tried to look around, but all he could see was darkness even when he rubbed his eyes to make sure they were open.

"Hold on Harry."

There were arms around Harry's shoulder for a moment and then they were gone. His entire body felt numb for a split second and then his vision returned in a flash only to vanish just as quickly. White hair and strange purple robes were all Harry was able to see until the darkness returned.

"Harry!"

Tom's arms were around Harry's shoulder's again. He held onto Harry as hard as he could; strong enough to leave bruises later. "Hold on Harry!"

Whatever it was that was pulling Harry away felt similar to the time magic that had always pulled Harry away when they had been younger.

The solution back then had been for Tom to flood Harry with as much of his power as he could. When Harry had vanished from Tom's arms, the older Slytherin had reached into their bond and had pushed almost all of his magic into Harry just to drag him back.

Harry panted hard. He could feel Tom's magic inside of him as well as around him, but his wasn't the only magic that was clinging to him. The other sludge like magic grabbed hold of Harry again trying to pull him away from Tom again.

This time Harry didn't see the white haired man with the strange robes. Instead Harry found himself in a strange misty place. Harry tried to look around, but almost any definition was blurred by the mist.

"What do we have here."

The only thing that had shape was a tall black robed figure. The person's face was obscured by the shadows created by the hood, but Harry just knew that the person was smiling.

"You're awfully early. Ah," Harry clutched at his chest when the disgusting magic tried to pull Harry away from Tom's magic. It was like Tom's magic and the other were trying to split Harry in half. "I see. Best you return to him. Not much I can do about what you've seen."

The figure lifted a stark white thin hand and made a slicing motion in the direction of the strange magic that was trying to drag Harry away.

"That should buy you the time you need. Take care little ma-"

"Harry!"

Tom was kissing the top of Harry's head and petting his hair the moment the younger boy was in his arms again. Harry had only vanished for a second, a moment in time, but it had felt far longer.

Harry's body felt limp in relief as the foreign magic vanished and only Tom's magic was left to wrap around Harry. He let out a relieved sigh before a sob slipped past his lips. He curled up against Tom and clung to his shirt for comfort. Memories of what had happened that Halloween night with Aunt Marg invaded Harry's mind.

It took some time for Tom to calm Harry down and reassure him that everything was alright. Tom ended up taking Harry back to the dorms and staying with him all through the night making it so that they both missed the Samhain party.

* * *

The first thing Harry noticed after being forcefully being pulled through time was that he was seeing things. It had nothing to do with his sensitivity, but he was definitely seeing things that weren't normally there.

The nature spirits that he normally only saw during rituals and holidays were almost constantly floating around now.

When the spirits realized he could see them they started following him around almost constantly trying to get his attention.

And then there were the ghosts.

The ghosts before had always been grey, faded, and transparent. Now they had more color and if he wasn't really looking right at them they looked almost solid. The ghosts also seemed to notice that something was off about Harry; even if they couldn't figure out exactly what it was.

Harry knew it had something to do with what he saw in the 'inbetween' place he'd been in while Tom's magic and the other magic had pulled him back and forth through time. The problem was Harry couldn't really remember what it was that he had seen.

Sometimes he would wake up at night in a cold sweat and he could recall a dark figure, but the remnants of the dream always slipped away.

He tried to talk to his friends about what he was seeing, but they would always just give him an odd look. Tom had frowned and proceeded to pull Abraxas away in secret to try and research what was happening. Sir Leighleas admitted that it might be a new ability linked to his sensitivity, but he couldn't be sure. Senestra and Fawkes were just as confused when Harry went to them for help.

And then there was the strange big eyed furred creature that Harry would spot at times when he rounded corners or when he turned around quickly. At first the creature had just regarded him with its big black eyes, but when it realized Harry was staring right at it the creature quickly fled.

Harry was sure he was going insane.

It only took a week before Harry finally lost all his patience with the strange creature and gave chase.

He ignored the strange looks he was getting from the other students and didn't even notice when a teacher yelled for him to slow down and stop running in the halls. Harry's complete focus was on the long haired creature that was running swiftly through the halls and dashing around bodies that were wandering the halls.

Harry was out of breath and holding onto his side as he continued the chase. The creature had just stopped to glance back at Harry before slipping through a door.

"Oh no you don't." He knew that door; it was the door to the Room of Requirement. So before the door could close and vanish, Harry used wandless magic to slam the door open and then jumped through.

Harry had half been expecting the creature to be hiding, but instead the creature was sitting in the middle of a large room filled with blue throw rubs, several desks, and bookshelves lining ever wall and going straight up to the ceilings.

The door snapped shut behind Harry making the boy jump in surprise.

 _"You are an interesting being."_ The creature tilted its head as its unblinking eyes watched Harry. _"I have been watching you for some time. You flicker around the edges as if you are not quite here, and yet you are."_

"You're a guardian." It was the only thing that made sense to Harry. When he relaxed the power of the charm he could see the magic around the creature and it reminded him so very much of both Sensetra and Fawkes.

 _"How is it that you can see me I wonder?_ The creature did not answer Harry. _"Only those that have slipped past the Veil and returned can see through invisibility."_

If Harry hadn't been taught magical lore he might have been confused by that statement. The Veil was the border between the living world and the after life.

"Is that were I went?" A cold tremor went through Harry as he barely recalled the misty place he had seen and the cloaked figure that had spoken to him even though Harry could not remember the words.

 _"What is it that you want? I see that you are Slytherin and yet you chased after me as if you were from Gryffindor. Why?"_

Harry flushed red and he was suddenly reminded that he had very suddenly ditched his friends and 'escort' when he'd chased after the strange creature.

 _"Very unpredictable."_ The creature huffed and shook its head. _"To be expected, I suppose, from one touched by such strong magic."_

"You have to be Ravenclaw's guardian." Harry said with a groan. Neither Sensetra nor Fawkes spoke in such a round a bout way. "Bound to the earth and unseen." Unseen to all but himself it seemed.

 _"Correct. Rowena chose me for we shared a common ability. We both share the Sight."_ The creature motioned for Harry to move to one of the cushioned seats that were in the center of the room. _"Rest. Your heart is still racing from the chase. I will answer some of your questions since you have caught me._ "

Harry eyed the creature as he slowly moved to one of the tall chairs that was facing the creature. Even as he placed his hands on the armrests and slower lowered himself into the seat, Harry's eyes never left the creature.

 _"I am a Demiguise. A creature that is able to become invisible and can see the most likely future. Rowena gifted me the name Apollo."_

"The greek god of oracles and knowledge." It was fitting in a way and Harry could not find it in him to be surprised.

 _"Indeed."_ Apollo the demiguise smiled a bit. _"My Rowena had a unique sense of humor. I was greatly saddened when the last of her line passed away."_ The demiguise sighed softly and shook his head slowly.

"I'm sorry." Harry shifted a little in the seat and his brows came together in concern.

 _"Do not be. Rowena's descendent died in the pursuit of knowledge. Thanks to him, many potions and cures will be created in the future."_ Apollo hopped up onto the seat across from Harry. _"But Rowena saw his end and knew her blood would not carry on. She made provisions."_

The two stared at each other for sometime before Apollo cocked his head once more. _"Did you not have questions?_ "

"O-oh! Yes!" Harry flushed and rubbed the back of his head for a moment. "I mean maybe? Senestra and Fawkes just kinda did their things before I could even ask." In fact they hadn't really asked if Harry had any questions.

Harry took his time thinking about his questions. "First question." It was something that had been bugging him since he had first read the riddle. "In the riddle it said 'A safeguard made, a secret of the core. Four can become five, but never more' What did it mean 'four can become five'?"

 _"Four heirs can become five. If the heir the Castle chooses agrees to accept the inheritance."_ There were some things that Apollo would not be able to answer, but what knowledge he could give to Harry he would. _"The castle can only have one true heir at a time. So four can become five, but never more than that."_

Harry should have known that was what the riddle meant. It seemed so ridiculously simple now that the answer was right there.

"Harry Potter Malfoy!" The door to the Room slammed open and Tom stalked into the room with flaring red eyes. "You promised you would never run off without someone with you! You promised me!"

Guilt washed through Harry and he quickly lowered his eyes. Only Tom ever used his real last name, but it'd been years since he had last heard it. Through their bond Harry could feel just how angry and worried Tom was.

"I'm sorry Tom, but I-I had to-" He looked at Apollo the demiguise and gulped. "I had to find answers. It was driving me crazy seeing things and I kinda lost it."

Tom's eyes narrowed and he glanced at the place Harry was looking at only to find an empty couch. "And did you?" He hissed softly.

"Yes." Harry relaxed and smiled at that. At least he knew he wasn't going crazy. "Apollo is one of the unseen guardians. I can see him now because of what happened on Samhain."

Tom threw his hands up and wandlessly slammed the door closed behind him. "Of course you ran off because of a bloody guardian."

"I didn't know he was a guardian until a few minutes ago!" Harry's light green eyes went wide as Tom stalked over to him and prompty picked Harry up. "Tom?"

The older Slytherin said nothing as he took Harry's seat and set Harry into his lap. "Is the guardian still here?"

Harry nodded and pointed over at Apollo who was watching the entire interaction with wide black eyes.

"Have your talk then. Since I can't seem to stop you." Tom would keep Harry in his lap the entire time if only to make sure the boy didn't vanish again.

"Is there a way to let Tom see you?" Harry asked as he chewed on his lower lip. This conversation would be rather awkward if Tom only got half of it.

There was a shimmering in the air and a moment later Harry heard Tom suck in his breath. "A Demiguise is a guardian of Hogwarts?" Tom could not see how such a small creature could do much to protect the school. Sure it had precognitive sight, but that could easily be worked around with specific spells.

Then again their invisibility could only be countered by a select few witches and wizards.

 _"Your other questions? And only yours since you are the one that caught me."_

"Rowena's power. Can it be unlocked like Godric's and Salazar's?" Harry asked from his spot on Tom's lap.

For a moment the Demiguise considered the request. _"I cannot. But Rowena knew her line would die out so she left me with instructions on what to do."_ Apollo snapped his fingers and the air around him shimmered blue for a moment.

 _"I give you a boon. Although Ravenclaw's power can not be unlocked fully, you may call upon it in times of peril. Be warned. If the power of Ravenclaw finds you call upon it unwisely, it will punish you."_

Harry nodded in understanding and swallowed thickly. He didn't want power so he doubted he would ever want to call upon the power unless he was in dire need.

"Why can I see the nature spirits now?" Harry asked before Apollo could ask if he had more questions. "I could see them before, but only after a ritual."

 _"It is because you have slipped past the Veil. Your magic is powerful and attracts them. You would have been able to see them as you aged and grew stronger, slipping past the Veil just rushed things along."_

"Does that mean Harry is more powerful now?" Tom asked quickly, his black eyes staring at the demiguise almost hungrily.

Apollo huffed and refused to answer Tom's question even when Harry repeated the question. _"It is not your question so I will not answer."_

"What about the ghosts? Why are they so different?" Harry asked when Apollo continued to refuse to answer the question Tom had originally asked.

" _That I cannot answer."_ Apollo told them sadly. _"The magic that creates ghosts is secret and guarded by ancient forces. There are speculations and rituals that one can perform to increase the chance of one becoming a ghost, but Death magic is impossible to control."_

Apollo hopped off his seat then and bowed strangely to Tom and Harry. _"I have given my boon. I have answered your questions. I must go."_

"Wait! What about the last guardian?" Harry asked even as the demiguise went to the door to leave. "Where can I find it?"

 _"The guardian of Hufflepuff can not be sought out, he will come to you._ " With that Apollo slipped out of the Room and left Harry and Tom alone.

"Why is it always you Harry?" Tom asked softly once Apollo was gone and the two of them were left alone in the Room. "Let's go. Your friends are worried about you."

* * *

Life continued for the Hogwarts students. Now that Harry knew for certain he wasn't going insane and seeing things, he was a great deal calmer.

It was still annoying having the nature spirits following him around, but they didn't do anything to get in the way at all. All he had to do was flare out his magic a little to show his displeasure and they would scatter for a little while.

The ghosts had even taken a liking to Harry. A few would warn Harry whenever Dumbledore was nearby. Peeves didn't prank Harry as much and would tell him where some of his pranks were waiting.

The one thing Harry really noticed though was how Orion was acting around him. Over the past couple months Orion had taken to touching Harry more often, usually on his shoulders or arms, and it always left Harry with his heart racing and a blush across his cheeks. He even started asking to hang out with Harry without their other friends.

When the next Hogsmeade trip was announced in November, Harry wasn't too surprised when Orion asked for a moment alone.

"Harry..."

Despite his carefree nature, Orion had been raised as a pureblood. In that moment he was standing tall and proud with a calm expression as he spoke to Harry.

"What is it Orion?" Harry asked. Orion had pulled them into an empty classroom to talk. His friend's changed demeanor had Harry frowning.

The Black teen took a deep steadying breath before speaking. "I want to ask you out on a date."

Harry knew he was pretty naive, but he knew that Orion had been acting differently for awhile and he definitely knew what a date was; he had just never assumed that Orion was interested in HIM in that way.

It would be a lie for Harry to deny that he had feelings for Orion, but he had never considered dating his friend.

"A-are you sure Orion?" Harry stuttered out his question. It felt like his cheeks were on fire with how bright his blush was.

Orion nodded quickly. "I really like you and I'd like to see if maybe it's more than friendship." If they ended up just being friends Orion would be fine with it, but he was a Black and Black's weren't shy about their romantic endevours.

Harry looked down at the floor to try and get his blush a little more under control. "Yeah. I can understand that." They would never know if they could be good for each other if they never tried. "I'd like to go on a date with you. But-" He made sure to look up at Orion through his bangs. "If things don't work out we can still be friends...right?"

"Definitely!" Orion dropped his calm and serious facade and quickly threw his hands up in agreement. "And hey! If the date doesn't work out at least we'll have gotten to hang out with the girls for once!" He grinned at his friend then and was extremely pleased when Harry returned the smile.

As much as Harry wanted to tell Tom, something held him back. Even Orion didn't say anything at dinner that night.

Orion did suggest that Eileen and Myrtle have a girls day during the Hogsmeade trip and both girls quickly agreed. It would be a great time for everyone to start their holiday shopping.

In the end Harry, his cheeks a bright red, told Abraxas about the date and asked if he could chaperone. Harry knew that at least one of Tom's followers would be there to keep an eye on Harry; which meant word would get back to Tom.

With Abraxas acting as his guard then Harry could keep the date a secret from Tom for awhile.

Needless to say Abraxas wasn't exactly thrilled over the entire thing, but he agreed to help out his youngest brother.

So when the weekend arrived Abraxas told Tom that he would be going with Harry to do some holiday shopping and that extra guards for Harry wouldn't be necessary.

"Honeydukes is first." Orion was over the moon when he and Harry were well past the Hogwarts wards and away from any chance of Tom seeing them. It sucked that Abraxas was with them, but at least he wouldn't try to interrupt them.

To give Orion and Hary some semblance of privacy, Abraxas followed a few feet behind them. Close enough to hear general conversation, but not so close that he was hovering.

Abraxas did have to suppress a small growl when Orion took Harry's hand in his in a not so subtle intimate gesture that had Harry blushing and smiling at his date.

It was a damned good thing that Tom had been busy with Headboy duties, otherwise Abraxas was sure Orion would have died a dozen deaths already.

But maybe this date would be the push that Tom needed to finally admit his feelings? Abraxas would think about telling Tom sometime after the day was over.

Little did any of the three know that Tom already knew about the date.

He'd found because Ladon had tattled on Harry. The small snakes were both of the mind that Tom and Harry were bound together and that Orion should not be trying to separate the mates.

Tom agreed.

The moment the three were away Tom used the best invisibility spell, notice me not spell, and a few other charms he could in order to mask his presence. With his spells in place Tom began following the Orion and Harry as they started their date.

Seeing Orion holding Harry's hand had Tom's eyes turning red and it took all of his control not to break his spells and charms and go over to separate the two.

Tom waited outside of Honeydukes while Orion took Harry inside to look over the sweets.

"You know spying on a date puts you in a rather bad light."

Tom spun around and sucked in a breath when he found Sir Leighleas standing a foot behind him. "H-How-"

"I'm a seer Tom. That allows me to see past certain spells." Sir Leighleas wasn't looking directly at Tom and his eyes couldn't seem to focus on Tom. "That and you forgot to cover your footprints."

Instantly Tom looked down at the dirt ground and groaned when he realized the dirt was damp from a recent rain and that he had indeed left a trail.

"You care about Harry." Sir Leighleas smiled a little as he spoke. "It's as obvious as sunlight is during a clear day. But," He held up a finger to make sure to stop Tom from speaking. "He is young and inexperienced in life. Let him have this so he can figure out what he really wants."

What could Tom say to the mediwizard that wouldn't make him sound like a fool? He was still dealing with Abraxas and his whole 'love' thing; Tom didn't need the mediwizard to start telling him what his feelings were.

"You two have something that no one else ever will Tom. You know your feelings, but Harry is confused and learning to listen to his heart."

"He is too young to date." Tom growled out after taking off his self silencing charm.

"And if you were the one dating him today?" Sir Leighleas arched a brow as he asked the question.

Tom sputtered for a moment before stuffing his hands into his pockets and turning away from the older man. "He is too young!"

"Most boys start having romantic feelings in their early teens." Sir Leighleas felt like he was talking to a brick wall.

Tom's rebuttal was stalled as Orion and Harry exited Honeydukes, each holding a bag of treats, and started walking towards the local tea shop. Abraxas was once again a few feet behind them.

"Let them be Tom or else you will end up making Harry upset with you."

Sir Leighleas' words almost convinced Tom to turn around and make his way back to the castle. Then he spotted Orion leaning close to Harry to whisper into his ear and how Harry's shoulders shook a little from laughter.

Tom wouldn't follow as closely as he had before, but he was definitely not going to be going back to the castle any time soon.

Meanwhile, Harry had slowly started to relax the longer he and Orion were together. He even momentarily forgot that Abraxas was following after them while they were in Honeydukes looking at sweets.

They were just sitting down in the tea house when what felt like ice ran down Harry's spine. He shivered and glanced around before smiling at Orion when his date asked if anything was wrong.

It was strange sitting together with none of their other friends. Abraxas was a few tables over reading from a book he had brought, but for the most part it was just Orion and Harry.

"So," Harry was extremely happy when their tea and biscuits arrived and he could at least keep his hands busy. "What do we do now?"

Before Orion had asked him, Harry had never thought about what going on a date would entail.

"Well...my sister said a first date is about talking and getting to know your date." Orion frowned at that. "But we already know each other." It was hard not to know each other after living in the same dorm for the last three years.

Abraxas smirked down at his book as the two younger boys floundered over what to do next.

"Taffety is graduating this year." Orion only had so many things to talk about that Harry didn't already know. "Rosier is really hoping you'll take up the Seeker position next year."

"Maybe." Harry would be lying if he said he didn't want to be seeker. "Are you enjoying being the keeper?" The previous keeper had graduated after last year and Orion had done well enough as the reserve keeper that Rosier had been fine with moving Orion up into the open spot.

"It's great!" Orion sat up and leaned forward excitedly. "I mean I know I missed a few shots during our first game, but it really got my heart racing you know?" He babbled for several minutes about how Rosier had started pushing Orion even harder after his first official game.

Harry nodded and smiled as Orion went on and on about how they had a real chance at winning the cup when a surge of magic caught Harry's attention. A sense of dread filled Harry as he looked out the window.

Time seemed to slow down as the thing that had caused the magical surge prowled around the corner and into the plaza. He and Orion were seated at the window so Harry had a very clear view of the creature.

Harry froze. Standing there was the largest dog he had ever seen. It had flaming red eyes, long fangs sticking out as it snarled, and the blackest fur that Harry had ever seen. Smoke seemed to come up from the ground where its paws were.

The creature slowly turned its head until it seemed to be looking directly at Harry through the window of the tea shop.

"Get down!"

Time sped back up as Harry was suddenly grabbed and dragged onto the ground under the window. Chaos broke out as the large creature began attacking buildings and people. Screams filled the air, but all Harry could see the floor under the table.

"We have to get back to the castle. Harry? Harry!"

Harry's shoulders started shaking as the hound barked so loudly that the walls around them shook. His entire body was paralyzed in fear as memories of his Aunt Marg and her horrid dogs filled his mind.

He couldn't even register that there were hands on his shoulders trying to shake him free of the waking nightmare. The only thing Harry could hear was the baying of that monster hound outside mingling with the barking from his memories.

The building was shaking again and what sounded like an avalanche covered the screams of the people within the tea shop.

Harry's memory changed from his aunts dog to the dreams he'd had during the Blitz. Bombs were dropping around him in the dream, people were screaming in terror, and buildings were collapsing all around him.

"Tom! Thank Merlin you're here!"

"Give him to me. You take Orion."

Suddenly, there was warmth around Harry and he could feel himself lifting up into the air and being held. A familiar feeling wiggled its way into Harry's panicked mind.

 _"T-Tom?"_

 _"That's it Harry. Focus on me."_ Tom held Harry close as he and Abraxas carefully snuck their way out of the back of the tea shop where the other customers and staff had exited. Aurors were busy fighting the hellhound outside in the plaza, but they were having trouble fully subduing the creature.

 _"Focus on me Harry. I swear I'll keep you safe."_ Tom's whispered parseltongue words were pulling Harry free from his memories and nightmares. They were a balm on his battered mind.

The last thing Harry saw before passing out was Tom with ruby red eyes and a smudge of dirt on his cheek.

* * *

Special thanks to: Louise to, Deb


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: Do not own HP.

A/N: I hate this chapter. I really hate this chapter. It just...feels so wrong to me. Not the first part! I like the first part and how it turned out. It's just the rest of it that feels off. I've rewritten it a couple times and this is probably the best version. Maybe I'll go back and work on it some more later, but for now here's chapter 27.

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 27: Being a Teenager is Confusing

Hogsmeade was in chaos.

The massive hellhound that was destroying buildings and chasing after people seemed to be impervious to most attack spells. It was barely even paying attention to the Aurors that were fighting to subdue or kill it.

Several professors had finally arrived in Hogsmeade and were helping to lead students and residents out of harms way.

The hellhound wasn't really paying attention to those being evacuated, it was more focused on destroying buildings.

At least until Tom tried to slip past when directed by Sir Leighleas.

As soon as Tom was no longer hiding behind a wall that was barely standing, the hellhound spun around and instantly launched itself to attack Tom.

With a curse, Tom was forced to throw up a wandless shield spell to knock the hellhound back. It would have been stronger if Tom had been able to use his wand, as it was the shield would only hold up for a few hits if he was lucky.

"This way!"

A stunning spell hit the side of the hellhounds head and distracted it long enough for Tom to make a mad dash for the Auror that was closest to them.

"Give me to boy, I'll apparate him to just outside the Hogwarts wards." The Auror ordered quickly and insistantly once he and Tom were taking cover behind a partially destroyed building. "Hurry!"

"Apparate us both." Tom refused to let Harry go, who was still unconcious in his arms.

"There's no time!" The sound of the hellhound snarling was getting closer as it practically ignored the spells being thrown at it. "If I take you both I might splinch you."

The Auror was reaching to take Harry, but Tom's lip curled and he took a step away from the man. There was something off about the Auror; especially with how insistent he was about taking Harry. Tom definitely did not like the man's familiar blue eyes.

"Give me the boy!"

Tom ran. He turned around and ran as hard and as fast as he could away from the Auror and away from the hellhound. He didn't even pay attention to where he was going so long as he got as much distance from the danger as he could.

A spell flew right over Tom's shoulder and he hissed a curse in parseltongue.

 _"Tom?"_ Harry was starting to come around. _"Tom!"_ He cried out as Tom dodged another spell that came flying at the two of them. He struggled in Tom's arms only for Tom to hold onto him even more tightly.

What in the world was the auror doing? He had to be demented and insane to be trying to attack them and kidnap Harry.

With the chaos the hellhound was creating and the insane Auror chasing after them, Tom couldn't find any stable cover for them. Ladon was hissing directions in Tom's ear which helped to avoid several deadends created by fallen buildings.

Pain erupted along Tom's back as a blasting curse hit the remnants of Tom's wandless shield and broke it.

"Just give me Hadrian and you won't get hurt." The Auror glared at Tom as he slowly stalked towards the two.

"As if I would EVER let you touch Harry." Tom used his body to shield Harry even as the younger boy finally got out of Tom's so that Tom could have use of his hands once more. "Bombarda!"

The Auror threw up a shield charm and dodged to the side to avoid a spell thrown silently by Harry.

"Boys. Don't fight me." The man's lip curled as he fought off the attack from both of the Slytherin students.

"How about you fight someone closer in age then!" A spell behind the Auror hit the man in the shoulder making him spin and fall to the ground in surprise. Sir Leighleas had his wand raised and pointing at the fallen man.

"GO boys! Get back to the castle!" Sir Leighleas comanded as he began to rapidly and efficently fire spell after spell at the attacker to prevent him from getting up. He never gave the Auror a chance to go after either of the teens again as his entire focus was on defending himself.

"Easier said than done." Tom hissed softly before grabbing Harry's hand and dragging him away from the two dueling adults. "Why couldn't the attack happen after winter break?" Tom mumbled as he and Harry hurried to the edge of Hogsmeade and to the road leading back to Hogwarts.

If the attack had happened after Tom turned 17 then he could have appparated them out of danger. He was fairly sure he knew how to apparate, but he had never gotten a chance to practice what with the age and license restrictions placed on apparation magic.

Even with the sound of the hellhound attack getting softer as Tom and Harry put distance between them and Hogsmeade, Tom didn't slow down.

"What was that thing?" Harry asked as they hurried down the path as quickly as possible towards the Hogwarts wards.

"A hellhound. How it got here I have no idea." Tom kept his red eyes forward. "There are several types of hellhounds, but that kind? It is definitely not native to the British Isles." The Grimm was the most common hellhound of the British isles and the hellhound that had attacked had not been a grimm.

Tom sighed softly in relief as the Hogwarts wards tickled against his skin to signal that they had made it to relative safety. He could feel Salazar's magic reconnect to his own and he quickly added more power to the wards around the school.

The two were quiet during the long trek up the path and stairs to the school. Most of the other students were in the Great Hall; those that had been hurt were being healed by mediwitches and wizards that had been called in from St. Mungo's.

"Harry!"

Orion was sitting with their other friends and the moment he spotted Harry tears of relief ran down his cheeks.

Harry didn't have the chance to go to Orion or the others. Instead Tom pulled Harry away after giving Abraxas and his followers a pointed stare. His older and better trained followers slipped their wands out and took up points around the Great Hall to protect the students that were there. Abraxas quickly grabbed Orion's shoulder to keep the younger Slytherin from chasing after Harry and Tom.

"Tom? Shouldn't we be in the Great Hall?" Harry asked as his older friend continued to lead him forward. Tom refused to let go of his hand the entire time.

No reply was given to Harry and Tom didn't even glance down at the younger teen even when Harry asked where they were going. The stair cases seemed to sense Tom's urgency and they moved into their path immediately each time they ascended a floor.

Soon enough they were sequestered within the Room of Requirements in the training room that Harry and Tom always shared.

Before Harry could ask Tom what was wrong, Tom pushed Harry onto the couch and started pacing.

"Tom?"

"What were you thinking?!" Tom demanded as he continued pacing. "Going out on a date? With only Abraxas for protection?!" He wasn't even looking at Harry as he ranted. "You should have told me where you were going! You're lucky I was there. You're lucky the hellhound didn't get to you! You're lucky none of the buildings fell down ontop of you!"

Harry's mouth fell open as Tom paced back and forth and ranted loudly and quickly. When Harry reached into their bond he found Tom barely concealing rage, fear, jealousy, and worry.

"Why are you-" Harry shook his head in confusion over the jealousy Tom was feeling. "Tom! Please calm down! You're not making any sense!"

The rage, fear, and worry Harry could all understand; they had just been attacked by both a hellhound and an Auror, but the jealousy? And the ranting? It wasn't like Harry had planned for the attack to happen. Hogsmeade was supposed to be protected and safe; a student should not need excessive protection.

Tom snarled and spun around to glare at Harry with his ruby red eyes. "You mean EVERYTHING to me Harry! If you had died, I don't...I don't know what I would have done." The rage Tom had been feeling over the date and the attack dulled a little as he looked into Harry's worried green eyes.

Suddenly and swiftly Tom moved until he was very close to Harry. His hands were on the younger teen's shoulders and their noses were less than an inch a part. "You're my whole world Harry." There were unshed tears in Tom's eyes and neither could look away from the other.

"To-" Harry's words were cut off as Tom leaned forward quickly to press their lips together.

The world froze and what felt like a shock of muggle electricity shot through Harry starting from where their lips were connected. His hammering heartbeat faded and all he could focus on was the kiss. His first kiss.

Harry's light green eyes went wide before his lashes fluttered. His entire body went limp and he had to grab hold of Tom's shirt just to keep from slumping forward weakly.

Tom's hands moved from Harry's shoulders to wrap around him instead to hold him close. He could feel Harry taking hold of the front of his shirt and a flicker of worry went through him until Tom felt Harry holding on instead of pushing him away.

It felt like their kiss lasted for an eternity, neither wanting to pull away from the other. A feeling of rightness settled in both Tom and Harry the longer the kiss lasted.

With a sigh Tom pulled back until just his breath ghosted over Harry's lips. He tilted his head so that their foreheads were pressed against each other.

"You should rest." Tom whispered, his words gentle and his eyes darkening back to black from their the fierce red they had been. "Stay here. I'll tell Professor Slughorn you're alright and then find Sir Leighleas to make sure he made it back safely."

Tom felt Harry's hands release his shirt slowly. "Promise me you'll stay here." His hand came up to gently cup Harry's jaw and cheek.

"I promise." Harry's voice was just as soft as Tom's and his words came out breathlessly. "But Tom-"

"We'll talk when I get back." Tom came close to Harry again to press a kiss against the younger teen's forehead right over his scar. "Rest." With a hiss Tom switched Ladon and Ophion.

As soon as Harry nodded and settled down onto the couch for a nap, Tom left the Room. He quickly went down to the Great Hall to inform Professor Slughorn that Harry was safe and sound. Tom even made a point to reassure Harry's friends that everything was alright; despite his desire to hex Orion when the boy kept bothering him.

Without even needing to ask once Tom left the Great Hall again, Ladon started giving directions to Tom to where Sir Leighleas was.

The atmosphere of the school was tense and eerie as Tom took the back hallways and secret passages to the floor he needed. Tom paused in surprise when Ladon informed him that Sir Leighleas was not in the hospital wing, but instead in the office of a blue eyed professor.

Why would Sir Leighleas be with Dumbledore?

It took little time for Tom to make it to Dumbledore's office.

There was only a single silencing charm and lock ward on the office door and Tom had little trouble tapping into Slytherin's founder magic to take down both spells without alerting the men inside.

"-was you Dumbledore! You really think you can get away with this?" Sir Leighleas' voice was loud and there was a slamming sound within the office as if something had been thrown. "3 students and a dozen others died! Do you even care?!"

"How dare you accuse me of such a horrible thing!" Tom scowled as Dumbledore made his voice sound hurt. "I assure you, Sir Leighleas, that I-"

"Stuff it Albus." There was a loud gasp from inside the office that made Tom frown. "You may not have been there physically, but I know your magical signature just as well as I know mine." There was silence for a moment. "I know you summoned that Hellhound. I know you controlled that Auror."

"The attack was perpetrated by Grindelwald." Dumbledore's words were even and resolute as he responded to the allegations made by Sir Leighleas.

Tom was surprised when the mediwizard snorted loudly. "One day people are going to see through your lies Dumbledore." Foot steps grew louder as one of the men made their way to the door. "Your sister would be ashamed of you."

Dumbledore had no time to reply when the door was thrust open and Sir Leighleas exited. The mediwizard slammed the door closed behind him. He didn't notice Tom right away as he had been pinching the bridge of his nose in aggravation.

"You two know each other beyond being collegues."

Sir Leighleas' head snapped around and he looked at Tom in surprise, his brown eyes growing wide. He quickly ushered the headboy away from Dumbledore's office so that the transfiguration professor wouldn't be able to listen in on them.

"You know him. You know his history. You've been protecting Harry and me from Dumbledore's manipulation for years." Tom pressed the issue even when Sir Leighleas made hand motions for him to be quiet.

They were too far from the hospital wing and the privacy of Sir Leighleas' office. An empty classroom could easily be listened in on even if they put up privacy wards. Sir Leighleas ran a hand through his hair as he tried to consider where to go.

"You don't believe Dumbledore about Grindelwald." Tom's eyes were starting to turn red once more. "You know a great deal about magic; especially about Dumbledore's magic."

"Damn it Tom, not here." Sir Leighleas hissed as he looked at Tom, panic clearly visible in his brown eyes.

Tom frowned and motioned for the mediwizard to follow after him. "You claim to be a seer. Even though you're a light wizard you know a great deal about dark magic." Everything he had learned about Sir Leighleas over the years was coming together in Tom's mind.

Once they were in the 7th floor corridor, Tom wrenched the door to the Room open and shoved the mediwizard inside.

"You're Gellert Grindelwald." The words only left Tom's lips once the door was firmly closed and had vanished.

"Grindelwald?!" Harry's head poked up from the couch and he looked at Sir Leighleas with wide eyes. "But, but how? Sir Leighleas isn't bad!"

Sir Leighleas silently looked from Tom to Harry and back before sighing softly. As he ran a hand through his hair it shifted from the plain brown it had been to Grindelwald's well known stark blond. When Sir Leighleas opened his eyes one remained brown while the other had turned blue.

"We made a deal years ago." Sir Leighleas turned Grindelwald told the boys calmly. "I told you that one day you would learn something about me and you swore you would hear me out before making a judgement."

"I know you are not a danger to us." Tom shrugged a bit and then walked away from the mediwizard to go over to the couch to join Harry. "If you really wanted to harm us, you had every opportunity over the years."

Even though Tom was being serious about Grindelwald not being a danger to them, he still tucked Harry into his side and kept a close eye on the older wizard. If the man did attack, then Tom would be able to use Salazar's magic to protect them.

With slow movements Grindelwald went and took the seat across from the couch. He made sure to keep his hands wand free and in sight the entire time.

"Sir Leighleas? Are you...are you really Grindelwald?" A look of hurt and betrayal filled Harry's eyes as he looked at the bicolored eyed man. After spending so much time with Sir Leighleas, Harry had come to consider the older man as a friend.

Grindelwald smiled sadly at the young boy. "I'm sorry for lying to you Hadrian, but would you have trusted me if you had known the truth?" He asked gently. "Would you have accepted my help?" The way that Harry quickly ducked his head to look away from Grindelwald was all the answer he needed.

"Years ago, when we were both still young, I was friends with Albus Dumbledore." Grindelwald closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat as he recalled his old memories. "We made so many plans back then! We wanted to change the magical world for the better! But...everything went wrong."

Harry gasped and frowned. "Your friend! In my first year you talked about a friend that you got into a fight with."

Grindelwald nodded sadly. "Dumbledore wanted to merge the two worlds and make muggle-borns into little more than servants. I disagreed and said we should separate the muggle and magical worlds completely." A weak chuckle left him. "We got into a fight that became a duel. His brother and sister tried to stop us. A spell hit his sister and she died."

The man closed his eyes in pain. "I loved Ariana like a sister. She was innocent and exceptionally sweet and kind hearted. She did not deserve what happened." No one knew who's spell it was that had killed the girl, but Gellert would always carry the guilt of her death in his heart.

"I...don't fully remember what happened after that." Grindelwald opened his mismatched eyes with a frown. "I remember leaving for awhile. I travelled a great deal to learn everything that I could, but one day I just...stopped." He shook his head weakly. "There was this sudden rage that overtook me and an urge to attack muggles, to control them."

Grindelwald's frown deepened. "I know now that I was being controlled. My memories from that time are hazy and I felt as if I were in a dream. As an occlumency master I knew the signs, but it wasn't until my incarceration in America that I was finally able to break free of the control."

The two teens had remained silent during Grindelwald's story up until that point. "You suspect it was Dumbledore." Tom spoke up when Grindelwald fell silent again.

"Oh I don't suspect him. I _know_ it was him. Only another master of the mind arts could have the chance of controlling another." Grindelwald cursed and turned his head to glare away from the boys. "As soon as I was free of his control I started having full clear visions again. It was like years of visions were catching up to me. I witnessed everything that he had done to me and had made me do."

Grindelwald's gaze grew distant and haunted. "He forced me to do so many horrible things, all in my own name for a cause I find repulsive." He chocked and his voice cracked. "I know it wasn't really me, but-"

His shoulders were hunched forward and he was glaring blankly down at his knees. There was so much pain in his posture that Harry found himself getting up and going to the man. He reached out, without fear, and hugged the older man around the shoulders.

Shock from the innocent and gentle touch made Grindelwald freeze when he felt the young teen embrace him. He closed he eyes for a moment before giving Harry a quick hug in return. After taking a deep breath that left him in a soft swoosh, Grindelwald pushed Harry gently away and back towards the couch.

"It wasn't long before Dumbledore realized he didn't have control of me. He came after me in America, but I ran. I did everything in my power to hide." Grindelwald nudged at Harry to send him back to the couch. "When he couldn't find me, he created a golem of some sort to take my place and continue attacking muggles and muggle-borns."

"Golems do not have magic." Tom pointed out with a scowl. It was something he had learned during Ancient Runes and had researched further until he had come to the conclusion that golems were for the most part useless.

Grindelwald smirked and nodded. "It's not difficult to create the illusion of magic." He pointed at the necklace chains both boys still wore. "Simply give a golem enchanted objects and it can look like it is using magic."

"Grindelwald wasn't always there during attacks." Harry piped up. "Sometimes it was his followers." He pointed out quickly. "And sometimes the attacks were just blamed on Grindelwald."

"Exactly." Grindelwald nodded. "It's ridiculously easy to place the blame on someone when an entire populace fears for their lives." He had come to terms a long time ago that he would never be able to live a normal life as himself after all of this; which was why he had constructed his 'Leighleas' persona.

"I had planned on staying hidden for the rest of my life...until I had a vision about you and Tom, Hadrian."

Silence filled the Room as both teens watched Grindelwald with a mixture of shock and concern.

"I had a vision of pair of powerful students that would be in danger while in school. I saw what Dumbledore would do to them." He winced and looked away. "He plans on draining Hadrian of his magic and of turning Tom into the next Dark Lord after faking my defeat by destroying the golem."

"Over my dead body." Tom growled angrily and clenched his fists tightly. It would be a cold day in hell before he ever let Dumbledore touch Harry.

Grindelwald nodded and straightened his posture. "I won't let any of that happen. I am partially to blame for the danger you are both in and I swear I will do everything I can to protect you both."

"It's not your fault sir!" Harry said quickly.

"You are too good for this world Hadrian." The smile Grindelwald gave Harry showed just how exhausted the older wizard was. "I may not have directly caused this mess, but by not standing up against Dumbledore to begin with I set events in motion that have led to this moment."

Before Harry could deny what Grindelwald was saying Tom reached out and took Harry's shoulder. Tom gave Harry a quick shake of his head to stop the younger teen from arguing.

"I should go." Grindelwald stood and brushed his hand through his hair again until it was just as brown as before. His one blue eye darkened to match the other brown. Other small changes happened across his body until Sir Leighleas was once again standing before Tom and Harry. "I need to make sure all of the injured have been taken care of." Even the pitch of his voice was different.

"We will meet you at the regular time." Tom stood as well and after a moment of thought, held out a hand to the disguised man. "You are an ally, Sir Leighleas. You have proven yourself loyal to the both of us many times over. For that I thank you."

There was no hesitation as Grindelwald took Tom's hand and shook it firmly. "Thank you Tom. I swear I will never betray your trust."

Harry smiled a little when Sir Leighleas turned to him, but he didn't move from the couch. He was exhausted and it must have shown because the mediwizard simply nodded to him before leaving out of the door that had reappeared.

When the door closed, Harry lowered his eyes so that he was looking at his lap. He heard Tom sigh a little before returning to the couch.

"Harry..."

Tom's warm body settled down next to Harry on the couch, but he didn't do anything other than gently touch Harry's shoulder. "You can't avoid me Harry." His voice was soothing and the words were soft as he spoke. "Please look at me."

Slowly, Harry tilted his head up until his met Tom's gaze. "W-why did you kiss me Tom?" He asked only to squeak when Tom sighed and grabbed Harry. He was pulled onto Tom's lap and the older teen's arms went around Harry to keep him in place.

"I told you," Tom kissed the side of the younger boy's head gently. "You are my entire world, my everything." His eyes closed as he nuzzled against Harry's head and buried his face into the soft black hair Tom had come to adore over the years. "I was going to wait until you were older to tell you, but seeing you with Orion and almost losing you today..." He shuddered and refused to think about what it would have been like to lose Harry.

With Tom hiding in Harry's hair, the younger teen couldn't see the light blush that was spreading across Tom's cheeks. His own cheeks were a bright red and he was biting his lip in embarrassment.

"What about the blood adoption?" Harry felt breathless. This wasn't the first time Tom had ever held him, but it felt different from all the previous times. Even through his robes he could feel the heat coming from Tom's hands and arms. He could feel Tom's heart beat from where he was pressed against Tom's chest.

"I never took the Malfoy name." Tom said slowly. "Since I am the heir to the Gaunt and Slytherin Lordships I will have the option to nullify the blood adoption when I take the Lordships after I graduate."

Even if he had taken the Malfoy name when he had been adopted, he still would have had the option available to him. The ancestrial magic tied to both family lines would be powerful and it would more than likely burn away the small amount of Malfoy blood he did have.

"O-oh."

"Are you..." Tom cleared his throat a little and pulled back from Harry so they could look at each other. "Are you upset with me?"

"No!" Harry exclaimed almost immediately. "I'm just surprised! And nervous. And I don't know what to do next." He never wanted Tom to think he was upset with him; Harry loved Tom!

That thought stopped Harry and he swallowed nervously.

He had always known he had loved Tom, but this was the first time it had really hit Harry. He still felt confused about everything, but he understood now that his love was a lot deeper than that of brothers or friends.

"Good." Tom kissed Harry's forehead gently, and then his cheek, before tapping a finger below Harry's chin to get him to tilt his head up. "May I kiss you again?"

There was just something about how Tom said those words, his voice low and soft, that had Harry's heart racing. His own voice failed him so he nodded against the finger that was holding his chin up.

He hadn't been prepared for the kiss before, but this time Harry thought he knew what to expect. He squeaked softly when Tom's lips lightly pressed against his for a moment before lifting away. The touch had been as light as a feather and to Harry's shock and embarrasment he whimpered.

With a smug smirk that Harry couldn't quite see, Tom pressed his lips harder against Harry's.

The pleasant shock that Harry had felt during the first kiss came back and he shuddered. His hands came up and he grabbed onto Tom's shirt again so the older boy wouldn't be able to pull away for a second time. Heat filled Harry so completely and he was left breathless and gasping when they finally did barely separate for air.

"T-that was," Harry brushed his fingers against his lips and felt how he was smiling. "Wow."

Despite how mature Harry seemed, Tom was reminded that he was still so young. He was just barely a teenager and only starting to learn about physical intimacy.

The two kisses they had shared would be the only ones they would have until Harry had time to grow a little more.

"Let's stay here for a little while." Tom adjusted how he was holding Harry so that they would both be more comfortable on the couch. "Then we'll head down to the Great Hall for dinner."

Harry hummed softly in agreement and his eyes fluttered shut. Within minutes he was dozing in Tom's arms.

While Harry napped, Tom gently ran his fingers through Harry's hair. He felt lighter than he had in a long time now that he knew Harry would remain his. He had a feeling he would still get jealous whenever Harry spent time with his friends, but at least Tom was content in his knowledge that Orion would have no chance to steal Harry away.

Tom chuckled darkly. Oh he couldn't wait to see Orion when the news was broken to him that Harry was no longer available for a relationship.

* * *

The ministry officials were finally able to subdue the hellhound with the help of Newt Scamander. Unfortunately the famous magizoologist had not arrived in time to save the 15 people that had been killed because of the attack.

Most of the deaths had been because of buildings falling, but a few had been from the hellhound biting and clawing them when they'd gotten too close.

In the end Newt Scamander could do nothing to stop the Ministry from putting the hellhound down.

Bann had been one of the many people that had been injured. He'd been helping to get other students out of danger when the hellhound had been literally knocked into him by one of the Auror's spells. He ended up with a deep scar across both arms when he'd shielded his head and face.

The wounds had been healed, but because they had been made by a dark magical creature, the scars would take years to heal and fade.

Harry had not known the three students that had died, but he mourned for them. Two had been fourth years and the third had been a seventh year that had been trying to save a couple kids that had been too young to attend Hogwarts.

The memorial for the 15 people that had been killed was held by the Black Lake a week after the attack. It was a quiet affair with several people speaking for the dead and a plaque was magically created with each name engraved on it.

Most of the people that had gathered left after the memorial had finished. The friends of the deceased students were going to get together back at the castle.

Harry found himself wandering around the grounds of Hogwarts, Abraxas and Tom on either side of him. The nature spirits were following after Harry, but weren't actively trying to get his attention like they usually did; which he appreciated.

"What do you think death is like?" Harry asked as he kicked at a rock just in front of him. The rock skipped across the ground before landing with a plop in the shallows of the lake.

Tom frowned at Harry's question. "That is not something you should be curious about."

"With what just happened, I'm not surprised Harry is asking about death." Knowing Tom and Harry as well as he did, it took only a few minutes after seeing them at dinner after to the attack for Abraxas to figure out that something had changed between the two. When he had confronted Tom about it, Tom had admitted to the kiss.

Abraxas couldn't have been happier.

"I'm just curious." Harry shrugged a bit and kicked at another rock. "According to Apollo I looked past the veil. I think I actually saw Death." The figure had definitely looked like a mysterious personification of Death with the black hooded robe. "Death is just strange to me. I know my parents had died when I was a baby, but they're not even alive yet. Can they still be dead if they haven't even been born?"

It was an old conversation point that the three had had several times after Abraxas had learned the truth about Harry.

"Huh." Harry paused in his wandering, both physically and mentally, when he spotted a heard of strange looking horses. "What are those?" He pointed off to the horses and then looked to Tom and Abraxas when they didn't say anything.

Tom was frowning in the direction that Harry was pointing in and Abraxas was giving Harry a very concerned look.

"What are what Harry?"

"Those horse things." Harry scowled when Abraxas shook his head slowly. "You seriously don't see them?" It was yet another thing that Harry could see that no one else seemed to see.

Tom reached out to gently touch Harry's shoulder to sooth him. "If I concentrate I can see something blurry." He had to tap into his connection with Harry to see anything, but at least he could do that.

"Come on. We should go inside." Abraxas shivered lightly as a breeze surrounded the three teens. He had a vague idea of what it was that Harry was seeing, and he wanted to get away before any bad luck rubbed off on them.

* * *

It was a few days after the memorial when Harry finally had the opportunity to sneak away from his friends. He'd been avoiding Orion ever since the kiss he had shared with Tom in the Room. They hadn't really talked about the two of them being in a relationship, but Harry knew that things were different.

Avoiding Orion had been difficult though. They shared classes, meals, and a dorm room together so it wasn't like Harry could just not talk to him.

Tom must have said something because his followers had started keeping an even closer eye on Harry even when he was with Orion and Eileen.

"You know you shouldn't be wandering around by yourself."

Of course it would be Alf who would notice Harry sneaking out of the common room before dinner.

"I just need some air." Harry sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. Avoiding Orion had left Harry feeling tense and irritable. He hated running away from his friend, but he had no idea how to talk to him about everything that had happened.

Harry knew he would need to talk to Orion eventually. They had gone out on a date for a reason and Harry didn't want to end up hurting Orion because the other boy thought that there was a chance for a relationship.

Alf nodded and motioned for Harry to start walking.

"Can't I be alone for once?" Harry grumbled angrily. He just wanted a few minutes on his own to get through his thoughts. He would have gone down to the chamber, but Senestra never seemed to understand. She would try to be understanding, but she wasn't a human so her advice usually boiled down to either 'kill your prey' or 'talk to your mate'.

Despite the fact that Harry always told her that they were not 'mates', Harry knew he couldn't go and talk to Tom about his feelings. Especially since the older Slytherin was the cause of said feelings.

Harry was also pretty sure Tom's advice would be for him to just be blunt with Orion and to stop being such a 'Hufflepuff' about everything.

"Tell you want," Alf sighed as he scratched at the top of his head. "I'll escort you outside and give you some space ok? As long as you stay in my line of sight." It was the best he could do without disobeying Tom's direct orders.

Harry nodded eagerly. As long as he got some space to think then he would be fine. He knew that if it had been anyone else to follow him out then they would have been on him like a fly on honey.

Even Abraxas was loathe to let Harry be even a few feet away when not in classes or the dorms anymore.

The two walked in silence for awhile as they left the castle. There were a few other students outside, but with days getting shorter and the season getting colder, most were heading inside.

"If you do want to talk to someone, I can lend an ear." Alf told Harry once they were far enough away from any listening ears. "This is about Tom and Orion I assume?"

With a groan Harry nodded. When wasn't something about Tom?

"He's been pretty jealous these last couple years." Alf said when Harry chose not to enlighten him. "Tom hides it pretty well, but there are times when his mask slips." The younger Slytherin still didn't say anything. "He hasn't been jealous these last few days, but it's like he's gotten even more protective of you."

"He's always protective." Harry grumbled. "I'm not made of glass."

Alf chuckled as he reached out to ruffle Harry's dark hair. "Of course not little prince, but that doesn't mean our Lord will be any less protective of you. That's what people do when they're in love."

Seeing Harry squirm and blush was entertaining for Alf and confirmed a few things that the young Malfoy was trying to desperately not talk about.

"Why do you call Tom 'Lord' anyway?" Harry demanded as he and Alf marched across the grass towards the trees that were nearby.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry watched as Alf smirked.

"Because that's what he is."

It hadn't taken long for everyone in Slytherin to recognize Tom's power and intellect. He out performed his entire class and had already learned the second and third year material halfway through his first year. It was a rare sight, but everyone had witnessed at least one act of wandless and wordless magic from Tom.

The power dynamics in Slytherin had shifted quickly and even the older students had started following Tom in the teen's second year.

"There are three things that people respect, Harry." Alf explained. "Power, Blood, and Presence. A person could be powerful, but not have the blood or presence to back them up. A person could have the blood, but without power or presence they won't get far. A person could have presence, but only the weak willed follow someone that doesn't also have power or blood."

It seemed unfair to Harry, but he could understand where Alf was coming from. He'd learned about this sort of thing from the Malfoy's after all.

"Tom? He has all three." Alf shivered a little and he grinned as he thought about just how far Tom would be able to go in their world. "He has plenty of power, magical, political, and intellectual. Although he is a half-blood Tom comes from the Gaunt line and has the Malfoy bloodline backing him up; not to mention he is the Heir of Slytherin. As for presence? Well...no one can deny he has a certain magnetism.

That's why we call him our Lord. We willingly follow him because we respect him. Being our Lord means we are also under his protection." So long as they followed and supported Tom, Alf knew all of Tom's followers would benefit under his leadership.

"It's also an ancient title. Your father is 'Lord' Malfoy. My father is 'Lord' Mulciber. When Tom graduates he can take up the Lordship for the Gaunt and Slytherin lines."

A memory flickered through Harry's mind and he could vaguely recall the inheritance tests he and Tom had taken almost 7 years ago.

That did make Harry wonder though about his own heir-ship. He'd taken the inheritance test before the blood adoption had happened and anchored him in the past. If he had been in his own time he might have been the heir of Gryffindor, but Fawkes had told him that the current heir was still alive so Harry couldn't claim it. But that also brought up another thought.

Was Harry still the Potter heir?

Harry doubted it. Since he wasn't exactly going to go and admit that he was a Potter. His parents hadn't even been born and Harry had no idea how old his grandparents were or if they were even together yet.

If he went back to Gringotts and took another inheritance test would the Potter heir-ship vanish?

Alf watched the younger boy as he fell silent. If Harry had been a typical Slytherin, Alf would have been worried about the boy planning some sort of scheme, but he knew differently. Harry was probably worrying about something that he really didn't need to worry about.

Harry came out of his thoughts when they came closer to the copse of trees where the strange invisible horses were.

"I'll just be over there." He told Alf as he pointed over to the trees. "I promise I won't sneak off."

"I'll hold you to that. I would rather not have Tom kill me for losing you." With a wink Alf went over to the closest tree and leaned against it. He might as well be at least a little comfortable while he waited.

As soon as he was sure Alf wouldn't follow after him, Harry made his way over to the herd of strange horses. He moved slowly, cautiously, especially when they looked up at him and started shying away.

"I won't hurt you." Harry whispered. He stopped moving when the closest horse began tossing its head nervously. Only when they calmed down did Harry try and get closer.

The horses seemed to understand fairly quickly that Harry meant no harm. Most of them stayed away, but one or two let Harry get closer after eyeing him warily.

"Oh. You have wings." His voice stayed soft and gentle as he got a better look at the horse in front of him.

It only took him a moment to connect the dots. He wasn't in Slytherin for nothing after all.

"The last guardian is-"

 _"A threstral. Me to be precise."_ An amused voice said from one side of Harry making the boy turn in surprise.

While the other horses, threstrals as Harry had just found out, were black or dark shades of grey, this one was pure white with pink eyes.

Even though the threstral couldn't really smile, Harry could see humor glimmering in its pink eyes as it snickered at him. With a toss of its head the other threstrals pranced away leaving Harry alone with the albino threstral.

"So...you're the Guardian of Hufflepuff?"

 _"You may call me Albino."_ He snickered when Harry frowned. _"Helga had a unique sense of humor. Something I always adored."_ Unlike the other threstrals, which had kept just out of Harry's reach, Albino moved forward and gently nudged at the teen's arm until Harry reached up to gently pet at the white scaly snout.

The white thestral made a strange soft hissing like sound and leaned into Harry's hand as he rubbed just behind the creatures horns.

 _"I've been asleep for such a long time. It's nice to finally be awake again."_ Albino's sigh whistled slightly. _"Very few can see thestrals normally, but being a guardian means I can't exactly spend time with other creatures."_

"Why not?" Harry asked with a tilt of his head. "I mean...do you have to sleep?"

Harry had to pull his hand away as Albino tossed his head up to shake it.

 _"I suppose I do not need to sleep, but it's tedious to stay awake for decades or longer when I am not needed."_ Weariness filled his words and if Albino had had lips Harry was sure he would be frowning. _"How would you think you would feel if you stayed awake for several days on end with nothing to do and no one to talk to just because you decided to stay awake?"_

With a frown that made his nose wrinkle, Harry shook his head. "I don't think I would be able to do that." Sure he'd had sleepless nights in the past or had been unable to sleep for long periods of time, but usually that lack of sleep only lasted a night before he would collapse from exhaustion the next night.

 _"So I sleep._ " Albino turned his head and looked over at the castle. _"If I am needed, Hogwarts will summon me. Or I will sense a call from the Hufflepuff heir."_

The two fell silent after that and Harry went back to gently rubbing at Albino's dry skin that reminded him of shed snake scales.

 _"When Helga was still alive she decided not to name her own children as her heirs."_ Albino's words jolted Harry from his inner musings after several long minutes of quiet. _"She feared that if she named an heir then her descendants would abuse the power she left in the castle. So she chose a different path."_

"A different path?"

The white thestral nodded its head and looked at Harry with one of its milky pink eyes. _"She decided that her heir would be one that exemplified Hufflepuff qualities. In all my years I have only seen one or two."_ Again Albino sighed and made that whistling sound that reminded Harry of an elderly person that had trouble breathing.

 _"I sense a fierce loyalty in you."_ Albino's unblinking gaze was focused on Harry, as if he was unraveling all of Harry's secrets one by one. _"If circumstances were different I would claim you as the Hufflepuff heir, but I cannot. But I know Helga would adore you so I will give you a boon._ "

Albino lifted his head until his curve of his bony snout could press lightly against Harry's forehead. _"All of the creatures loyal to Hogwarts will know to never fear you. They will help you if ever you ask or have need._ "

There was a light tingling against the skin of Harry's forehead and he absently rubbed at it once Albino lifted his snout away.

"Thank you." Harry whispered a little awkwardly. "I'm...I'm confused." Harry admitted after a moment of wondering why all the guardians seemed so keen on giving him 'boons'. "All I wanted was to be able to talk to all the guardians. I never really expected to get boons from any of you. Why do it?"

Hearing a thestral laugh was strange and sent shivers down Harry's spine.

 _"Because we can sense that there is something special about you. We each feel something about you that resonates with the different Founder's magics. Enjoy the boons, do not look a gift horse in the mouth."_

Albino was laughing again as he turned and trotted away from Harry before the young Slytherin could comment; either about the fact that he was 'special' or about the very muggle saying that the thestral Guardian had told him.

Harry didn't really have time after that to think as Alf was calling out to him. Dinner was fast approaching and he wanted them both back in the castle before it got any darker.

Even though Harry hadn't gotten to think about how he was going to talk to Orion or about his relationship with Tom, he did feel better. Getting away from the castle, even for a little while and with an escort, had helped to relax Harry and he felt a little more clear headed.

So after dinner Harry made sure to ask to talk to Orion alone in their dorm room before anyone else joined them for the night.

Once they were in their dorm room though Harry couldn't seem to get over his nervousness in order to talk to Orion. He cared about his friend and he didn't want to say or do something that would end their friendship.

"So..." While Harry had been fidgeting and fretting over how to talk to Orion, the other boy had taken a seat on the edge of his bed.

"So-" Harry licked his lips and sighed softly. He couldn't put this off any longer so he squared his shoulders and called on as much courage as he could. "I-"

"It's ok Harry." Orion was barely containing his smirk when Harry finally seemed to work up the nerve to break up with him. "This is about our date right? I know I had fun, I think you had fun, but I'm smart enough to know when things don't work out."

Hearing Orion's words made Harry deflate slightly. "You're not mad?" He asked softly.

The other boy frowned slightly before shaking his head and smiling warmly. "I'm a little sad, but I'm not mad. I probably should be mad about you avoiding me, but it was kind of cute. I definitely deserve an apology for that."

Harry's cheeks flushed and he scowled down at the floor. He hated it when people referred to himself or anything he did as 'cute'. "Sorry." He mumbled after grumbling about the cute comment.

"Hey...I knew before I asked you out that it was a long shot." Orion got up and hesitantly went over to Harry. "We're still best friends."

The moment Orion lifted his arms up, Harry was giving him a hug.

"But you know," Orion smirked playfully once the friendly embrace ended. "If you ever want to try again, I'd be more than willing." He even wiggled his eyebrows at Harry which made him laugh.

"Just...promise not to avoid me anymore." The playful smile that Orion had been giving Harry wavered and Harry winced.

"I promise Orion. I'm sorry about that. I just-"

"You didn't want to hurt my feelings. I know." He lightly punched Harry's shoulder and then ruffled his hair. "You're too gentle for your own good. I'm not a sensitive little Hufflepuff like you, you know. I can take rejection."

Harry made a face and quickly smacked Orion on the shoulder. "I would like to remind you that I am in Slytherin."

Orion blinked owlishly and tilted his head a bit. "You are? I could have sworn you were sorted into Hufflepuff."

"Does this look yellow to you?" Harry pointed at the emblem on his robe and then at the trip.

The other boy made a show of taking a closer look at the green on Harry's school robe. "Huh...I guess I must be color blind. Sure looks yellow to me."

With a laugh Orion quickly dodged away from Harry's fist, which had been aimed at Orion's shoulder once more.

* * *

Everyone quickly noticed that Harry wasn't avoiding Orion anymore after that. Rupert even mentioned how weird it had been to see Harry practically running in the opposite direction and that it was nice for their group to be back to normal.

Seeing as how things had in fact gone back to normal, Eileen took Harry to the side before lunch.

"I'm just making sure you and Orion are alright." She insisted before Harry could ask what was going on. "I don't want to be caught in the middle of a lovers quarrel."

With his cheeks turning bright red, Harry scowled. "That's not going to happen. Orion and I are just friends."

"Oh! Well then," Eileen smiled sweetly. "If that's the case how about you and I go out together? I know it's rather soon after your date with Orion, but I would rather not miss my chance." Her smile was almost a little too sweet.

"Why are people asking me out?" Harry mumbled with a scowl before taking a deep breath to sigh. "I-I can't Eileen...You and Orion are my best friends and after what happened with Orion I really don't think going on a date together would be a smart idea."

Harry rubbed at his neck for a moment. "Besides...I might...I think-" He stopped stammering when he heard Eileen giggle.

"I thought so." She smirked at him and shrugged. "You're taken, but it's not Orion. I don't mind. Honestly I was just asking because I could; can you blame a girl for trying?" Eileen gave Harry a pointed look. "I can see you're having a hard time figuring things out though. Do you want to talk about it?"

"N-no! I just-"

"Hadrian. It's fine to be confused, but you should at least talk to Tom about your feelings." She smirked when Harry flushed and started stammering again. "I'm a Lady, Hadrian. I've been trained to notice even the smallest detail. Ever since your date with Orion, Tom has been practically glued to your side. He touches your shoulder whenever you're together and he has this little secret smile just for you."

Most of the students in the other houses probably hadn't taken notice of the increased attention Tom was giving Harry, but Slytherins were cunning and sly; they could see things that most people would miss.

"Don't make Tom wait too long for your answer, it's cruel to make Tom wait even though I think he'd wait for an eternity for you."

Harry deflated and his shoulders sagged. "I know..." His fingers went through his hair and his bangs were pushed back away from his face.

Eileen waited a moment before speaking up again. "Something happened between the two of you."

"We kissed." Harry blurted out quickly without thinking. "I've always loved Tom, but it feels so different now." His words were rushed as he finally allowed himself to voice everything that he'd been thinking about since the kiss. "I'm so scared I'll mess this up! It's always been the two of us and he's the one person I was always able to count on growing up. If I lose Tom because I did something stupid-"

"You won't." Eileen grabbed hold of Harry's shoulders to shake him out of his dark thoughts. "Talk to him Harry. Stop stewing and just talk to him. Honestly. You would think you're a Hufflepuff or a Gryffindor."

"Why do people keep saying that?!" Harry asked loudly and in exasperation.

Eileen smiled fondly at Harry and then took his hand to tug him out of the empty room she had dragged him into to talk. "Because you're too sweet and naive Hadrian. You don't really care about gossip or about your standing. It's not a bad thing," Eileen quickly assured him. "But sometimes you really should care about your self preservation."

The two made it to the great hall and settled into lunch. Harry grumbled as Orion started poking fun at him while Eileen politely told Orion to act more like an heir should.

Eileen was right though and Harry knew it. He needed to talk to Tom about things; if only to better understand their new relationship.

Despite all the teasing about how 'gentle' and 'sweet' Harry was, he was in fact a Slytherin and he knew how to be cunning when he needed to be. So during his classes between lunch and dinner, harry started planning.

There was one more Hogsmeade trip before the Holidays; Dippet had tried to cancel it after the attack, but too many students and teachers had argued against the decision.

Harry knew Tom and he knew that the older Slytherin would want to talk in private with no chance of them being interrupted. He also knew that Tom would probably want to spend the day alone and Harry would definitely want as much time as possible to relax his nerves.

By the time dinner arrived, Harry had everything planned out in his mind. All he needed to do was to speak with Tom.

Thankfully Harry got his chance once dinner was done and everyone was heading back to their dorms. They were in the dungeons and not to far from the Slytherin common Room when Harry made his move.

"Hey Tom." The moment harry called out to him, Tom separated from his group. Harry waited a moment until most of the Slytherins had made themselves scarce; mostly due to Tom glaring at them.

"Is something the matter Harry?" Tom asked once they were relatively alone. If it weren't for the fact that he had Headboy duties to attend to he would have taken Harry into the chamber to speak.

Harry took a deep breath and mentally kept himself from fidgeting. "I want to go on a date with you." Harry took his time to speak each word. The last thing he needed was to rush what he was saying and end up having to say everything a second time.

Tom blinked in surprise.

Tom had not been ignorant of the way Harry had been avoiding Orion since the attack. He'd found himself enjoying Orion's discomfort. He knew that Harry had been putting distance between himself and his friend because of his and Tom's kiss in the Room.

Remembering the kiss had Tom feeling warm and he could feel his heart beat getting a little faster.

"I-Is it alright if we go on a date?" Harry asked hesitantly when Tom didn't say anything.

"Of course. If that is what you want Harry." After the kisses he had shared with Harry, Tom had made the decision to take things slow. Harry was still so young and he didn't want to do anything that would make Harry uncomfortable. Despite that decision though Tom couldn't seem to keep himself from being close to Harry as often as possible and touching him on the shoulder or arm.

"Ok," Harry hadn't expected Tom to agree so quickly. Then again maybe he had been expecting it. "It's a date."

"It's a date." Tom smirked and reached up to brush Harry's bangs out of his face and away from his scar. He'd be a much better partner than Black could ever hope to be. "Until then."

Tom was only starting to turn to go to the Slytherin common room when he felt his arm being grabbed. He turned to ask Harry what was wrong only to be shocked into silence when Harry grabbed hold of the collar of his robes to pull him down.

Their lips met for a fraction of a moment before Harry was saying something, probably goodnight or something of that nature, and then hurrying away from Tom and through the secret entrance of the common room.

* * *

A/N: Special thanks to Louise to, and Deb

Also! I have a tumblr: Ethrildragon

Follow me and my randomness as I struggle with my muse.


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: Do not own it.

A/N: Ok...I may have lied previously. This story is probably going to be longer than 32 chapters.

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 28: Time Keeps Moving Forward

Even though Harry had been the one to ask Tom out on a date, he actually had no idea what he was supposed to do on a date. Orion had been the one in charge last time and Harry hadn't really been taking notes.

So during the weeks leading up to the Hogsmeade trip, Harry asked for advice from those he trusted most.

Abraxas hadn't been able to stop smiling or saying he was so happy that Harry and Tom were finally getting together. His only real advice was for Harry to do something that they both would enjoy. Not the best suggestion since Harry and Tom already did things they both enjoyed on a regular basis.

Orion's sister over heard Harry asking Abraxas for advice and proceeded to put her opinion into the mix. Her advice had more to do with fashion though and she left him blushing over the thought of wearing something that would hug his hips and show off his slender form.

Thankfully Harry's older brother chased Lucretia off before she could make any other suggestions that were altogether inappropriate; according to Abraxas.

Harry had no idea what he had been thinking when he'd gone to Senestra for her input. She'd seemed confused about why Harry would be the one to coordinate the 'date', the concept of which was even more confusing to the basilisk, and she'd proceeded to explain to Harry that it was the job of the dominant in the mating to provide security, comfort, and care.

The only part of her advice that had seemed even remotely useful was that he should find some place warm and safe for him and Tom to spend their mating ritual in.

Harry was rather red by the end of his visit with Senestra. She'd started cooing about future grand-hatchlings and Harry definitely wasn't going to try and explain to her how both he and Tom were male and could NOT get pregnant.

And he definitely did not want to try and explain to her, again, the difference between a date and a 'mating ritual' as she put it.

The best advice came from Sir Leighleas who told Harry to do something relaxing and to not worry about trying to make things perfect. Tom already loved Harry and anything the two boys did together would be enjoyable.

Harry even took the time to go to the library to find some sort of book that would be helpful, but all he really found was a book about dragon mating and a strange novel that detailed the life and passion of a young woman that ran off to be with her secret lover.

The book was confiscated by the librarian when she realized Harry had been reading it, but not before Harry came to the conclusion the book was a work of fiction.

He was tempted to write to his mother, but he wasn't sure how Mrs. Malfoy would react to the knowledge that her two adopted sons were starting a romantic relationship.

Much to Harry's surprise he received a letter from his benefactor Friday morning before the Hogsmeade weekend. It wasn't too detailed, just telling him what Sir Leighleas had already said about having the date in a relaxed setting and to not over think things.

The letter told him that for most people a first date was meant for two people to get to know each other and to try and figure out if two people could stand being around each other for any length of time. A first date was meant to establish whether there could be feelings beyond friendship.

Harry and Tom were well beyond that stage. They already knew they cared about each other and that they could spend time with each other exclusively. Their date would be more about getting used to spending time together in a romantic setting.

Eileen, with her uncanny ability to just know what Harry was up to, dragged Harry up to his dorm room Friday night and helped with the final preparations; such as what outfit he would wear. She also gave him a quick overview about pureblood courtship customs.

The day of the Hogsmeade visit dawned and Harry went to breakfast only to find several girls giggling when they spotted either him or Tom. Harry knew Eileen wouldn't have said anything, but he wasn't sure if Orion's older sister would have kept quiet about the date.

Tom smiled slightly as he put up with the cooing and giggles. He shook his head now and then, but otherwise didn't try to stop anyone.

Harry on the other hand wanted to hide under the table. There were girls, and guys, that were also sending him glares.

"They're just jealous." Eileen whispered when she took note of the squinted gazes and pursed lips that some people were giving Harry. "Lots of people want to date Tom, but from what I've heard he has NEVER been in a relationship with anyone."

"It's true." Alf was grinning brightly as he took a seat across from Harry to block out several of the people from other tables. "Tom is probably the most sought after bachelor at school. He leaves a trail of broken hearts behind him. So many people wish they could be you right now." Which was part of the reason Tom's most trusted followers were keeping an eye on things even though Tom hadn't asked them to.

Two different emotions battled within Harry; embarrassment, which was understandable for him, and jealousy. Harry really didn't like the idea of so many people pursuing Tom.

It was strange for Harry, to feel jealous. He knew what it felt like, he'd picked it up from Tom several times throughout the years, and he had even felt it himself whenever certain people got too close to Tom. This was the first time Harry actually understood why he felt jealous.

"Harry."

Tom's voice and a hand on his shoulder pulled Harry from his inner musings.

"Are you finished with your breakfast?"

Tom's black eyes seemed to be glittering to Harry and his smile made the younger teen's

stomach flip in a weird way.

"Breakfast-" He looked down at his plate with a blush. He'd eaten most of his food without even realizing it. "Yeah. I'm done." He couldn't eat more even if he wanted too.

With a flush on his cheeks, Harry scrambled a little off the bench to stand next to Tom.

"The carriages won't be leaving for at least an hour." Tom said as he escorted Harry out of the Great Hall. "But I thought we could spend some time away from the crowd."

Tom was always in tune with Harry's emotions, a byproduct of the bond he shared with the younger boy, so he hadn't been that surprised when harry had started to feel nervous and embarrassed the longer people whispered and stared.

"T-that's fine." Harry rubbed at his arm with one hand a little nervously. "We need to go down to the kitchens real fast first."

Only three people knew what Harry had planned for the date. Abraxas had helped with the planning and would help to keep people from following Harry and Tom. Eileen had only found out because she had kept asking about it to help Harry pick out his clothes. She would be helping Abraxas. Harry had told Sir Leighleas just in case something were to happen.

"Oh?" Tom arched a brow, but didn't argue. This was Harry's day and Abraxas had been dropping hints for weeks about the things Harry had been planning. Most of the hints contradicted each other, but Tom had resigned himself to his adopted brother's torment.

It was then that Tom took note of the bag that was slung across Harry's shoulder. "Are we not eating at the Three Broomsticks?" Tom asked with a smirk.

Harry shook his head quickly. "Too many people." He wanted the date to be about him and Tom; the last thing Harry needed was dozens of eyes on their date.

Tom made a sound of approval and allowed Harry to guide the two of them down to the kitchens entrance. He stood back a little once they were there and the house elves were swarming around them.

Apparently Harry had already made plans with the house elves. When they arrived the house elves already had several brown paper wrapped packages for Harry to take.

"Thank you all so much." Harry smiled happily as he tucked the packages into his bag. He hadn't asked for much, but apparently they'd packed more than he'd asked for. "I'm sure the food will be as delicious as always."

"Master Harry is too kind." The oldest of the house elves said as he smiled at the two Slytherin students. The elf had a green tint to his wrinkled skin and his ears were flopped over and hanging from age. "If you be needing anything else, just be calling for Ol' Paddy."

When Harry had first visited the house elves a week ago to ask if his requests could be filled, they'd been overly excited. The younger house elves had had to be told to go do chores by the older just to give Harry space.

Their reactions had been strange, but Harry hadn't thought too much about it. The house elves back home had always been eager to please so he figured it was just a house elf thing.

Tom on the other hand was surprised. He, being the Head Boy, knew that students were not allowed to call upon the Hogwarts house elves for anything; students weren't even really supposed to know any of the names of the elves just to make sure they weren't tempted to call on them.

He was allowed to call on a house elf, but only in an emergency or if it was needed to fulfill his responsibilities.

But Tom decided not to tell Harry any of that for the time being.

"We still have time before the carriages leave." Tom pointed out once he and Harry were finally able to leave the overly excited house elves to their work.

For a moment Harry glanced around to make sure no one was listening. He even cast a wandless privacy spell around the two of them along with a notice-me-not charm. When Tom asked Harry what was going on, the younger boy just smiled and shook his head.

Almost shyly, Harry reached out and took Tom's hand to lead him away from the kitchens.

The connection of their hands had Harry flushed and his heart hammering. He could remember dozens, hundreds, of times when he and Tom had held hands, but this time it felt different.

Everything felt different to Harry now.

Curiosity filled Tom as Harry led the way out of the dungeons, deeper into the castle, and definitely farther away from the entrance that would take them to the carriages meant to take them to Hogsmeade.

His silent questions were answered though when Harry stepped off the stairs on the seventh floor.

"We're not going to Hogsmeade are we?" Tom asked, laughter barely contained as Harry paced back and forth in front of the wall where the door to the Room would appear.

Harry didn't answer until they were through the door.

What Tom had been expecting to see, their training room or something similar and more comfortable, was definitely not what he found.

"I had to test the room out a few times to make sure it could do this." Harry explained as he took Tom's hand once more and led him away from the door. "Abraxas was with me, don't worry."

The room, if Tom could even call it that, looked more like an old Victorian garden. At the center of the garden was a glittering fountain with fairy lights floating and skipping across the crystal clear water. Three paths, not including the one they were on, branched away from the fountain and past the tall hedges that surrounded the fountain.

The room could be huge, Tom knew that, so he had to wonder just how big this garden was.

"I-Is it ok if we don't go to Hogsmeade?" Harry asked as Tom got a good look at the area around teh fountain and then looked up at the ceiling that had been enchanted to look like a clear blue sky. "We still can if that's what you want...but I-"

"This is perfect Harry." Tom shushed the younger boy by gently grabbing his shoulder to pull him into a hug. Tom sighed softly as he pressed his cheek into Harry's soft black hair.

It was a little known fact that only a handful of people knew, but Tom enjoyed gardens; especially quiet gardens that Tom could just walk through and enjoy the various flowers that were carefully cared for.

Tom had a soft spot for beautiful things and gardens such as the one they were in were definitely beautiful.

Harry beamed and quickly wrapped his arms around Tom when he was pulled into the embrace. He'd been so worried about the date that he'd come up with several plans just in case Tom decided he didn't want to spend the day in a secret garden.

But he had been secretly hoping Tom would like the garden date the most. Harry had put a great deal of time working with the Room to create the sprawling garden once he'd figured out how to 'request' changes.

"Do you want to look around?" Harry asked after what felt like a comfortable eternity wrapped in Tom's arms. "The Garden isn't too big, but there's a hedge maze that way," Harry pointed to the path directly opposite them. "A rose garden and gazebo that way," He pointed to the left. "And a...a cottage over there." He pointed to the right and Tom took note of just how red Harry's cheeks turned.

That cottage had not been Harry's idea and the Room had practically refused to take it away once it'd 'made' it.

As tempting as it was to go see what was in the cottage, Tom decided to hold off. "Let's go look at that hedge maze. Then maybe we can have lunch in the gazebo."

Honestly Tom was rather impressed with Harry's idea for the date. The gossip and rumors had all pointed towards a date at Hogsmeade, even Abraxas had led Tom to believe that's where they would be going, and yet Harry had secretly planned something even better.

Harry had definitely called on his more Slytherin tendencies while planning their date.

The hedge maze wasn't that complicated, but Tom rather liked the simplistic nature of the maze. The point of such a maze was to relax the people wandering within and to distract them from the outside world. With Harry at his size, Tom was able to enjoy both aspects of the maze as well as admire the flowers that were planted on either side of the cobblestone path within the maze.

They made it to the center of the maze after a few hours of leisurely wandering and stopping now and then to rest at various benches that were hidden in little alcoves within the maze. At the center of the maze was another fountain with water cascading gently down crystal pillars creating a gentle tinging sound.

"Make a wish Harry."

Tom had extended a hand out to Harry and in the palm of his hand was a single brass knut. For a moment Harry was surprised by the gesture. When they'd been kids Harry had always tossed coins into wishing wells and fountains even though Tom had always disapproved, and yet now here was Tom handing Harry a knut just so Harry could have a little fun.

With a shy smile Harry took the little coin and rubbed at it with his fingers while he thought about what he would wish for. He had everything he could want though. Harry had a home with a family, he had friends, and most importantly he had Tom.

There was only one thing Harry could think of so after rubbing at the knut for another minute, he tossed the coin into the water.

"What did you wish for?" Tom asked once the knut had settled in the bottom of the fountain.

"You know better." Harry smirked and leaned into Tom's side. "Wishes can't come true if they're spoken aloud."

It was such a muggle thing, but Tom couldn't help but smile. In a world of magic where they could do just about anything, Harry would still follow such an old muggle superstition.

Tom figured it was about lunch time by the time the two of them made it out of the maze once more,. They made it back to the original fountain and then wandered down the path that took them through the rose garden and to a beautifully crafted gazebo that had a marble table set up in the middle.

"Your seat sir." Harry was grinning broadly at Tom as he pulled out a seat. He'd gotten to relax over the last couple hours of walking with Tom through the maze. Being silly was easy once Harry wasn't stuck in his own head.

With a small chuckle Tom took his seat and then waited patiently as Harry began setting out plates, cups, and silverware for them to use.

"And what is on the menu today?" He asked as Harry proceeded to pull out the first package the house elves had given him.

Harry gave Tom a look that had the older Slytherin chuckling again, but he did stop talking.

The anticipation grew as Harry took his time to open the package at an angle that Tom couldn't really see. With a little smirk and a flourish of his hands, Harry pulled out two shiny red apples.

Tom would have felt let down, but the smile on Harry's face had him reconsidering the apples. If Harry was putting so much emphasis on such simple fruits, then there had to be a reason. Something in the back of Tom's mind stirred, but he couldn't quite place what it was.

Seeing that Tom was having an issue figuring things out, Harry just smiled and pulled out a little knife. With careful strokes, he sliced into the apples.

"When we first met," Harry did his best to keep his voice even as he spoke. "I was practically starving. You could have just kept walking. Or you could have handed me off to Cole or Martha." The first apple slice came free of the apple.

And then the memories clicked into place. Tom could remember feeling protective of Harry all those years ago. He remembered making the small boy tell himself several times that he wasn't a freak.

"Ever since then apples became my favorite food." Suddenly Harry felt like he couldn't meet Tom's gaze. "Those apple slices were the second thing you ever gave me...the first being a kind word." Harry had to stop slicing the apple up for a moment to steady his hand and clear his throat. "It's kinda silly, but I thought since our first meal together had apples that maybe for our first date-"

"It's perfect Harry." Tom took the knife out of the smaller hands and then the apple so he could take over for Harry. "I honestly had forgotten about the apples." He murmured as he finished slicing up the apples. "I was more concerned with your black eye and how small you were. And whether or not you were real."

Harry wasn't worried about Tom forgetting about the apples. It was a small detail that most people would have forgotten. Most of that day was a blur for Harry anyway, but he could remember how Tom had sliced up an apple so he could have something to eat.

"What else did you pack for us?" Tom asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Oh! Right!" One by one Harry pulled out the food he had asked for. Some glazed ham, still warm rolls with honey butter, and other little things that both he and Tom enjoyed eating; including a salad and a few vegetables that Harry wasn't thrilled with, but knew Tom would want.

"Now how in the world did you get that?" Tom asked when Harry pulled out the last item from the final package.

Somehow, someway, Harry had a small tub of ice cream that had been enchanted to not melt until eaten.

"That's for me to know and you to wonder about."

Ice cream was definitely not something that was served, even during feasts, so Tom was left wondering just how Harry had gotten the frozen treat.

As per the usual, the meal that the elves had packed was delicious. All through the meal Tom continued to try and get Harry to tell him how he had gotten the ice cream, but the green eyed Slytherin just smiled warmly at him and shook his head.

Harry insisted that it was his little secret.

Tom was only distracted from trying to get Harry's secret when they finally got to the ice cream and started eating it. Since there was only a single tub, and it seemed like bowls had been forgotten, they had to share the tub between the two of them.

The ice cream was delicious, but that wasn't what was distracting Tom. No. It was Harry himself that was shorting out Tom's thought processes. Every time Harry brought his spoon to his lips he would smile and hum softly in pleasure. The way Harry would flick out his tongue to clean his spoon off each time had Tom groaning mentally.

What made it worse was that Tom knew Harry was unaware of what he was doing. He felt nothing but relief when the ice cream was finally gone and Harry put his spoon down.

He had to sip at his water often with how dry Tom's throat kept getting. He had to keep reminding himself that Harry was young and innocent, that he couldn't allow himself to even think of Harry as anything but young and innocent.

"Tom?"

The sound of Harry's voice pulled Tom from his thoughts. Harry was looking at him worriedly and the older Slytherin had a feeling Harry had called for him a couple times.

Tom poured all of his charm into a smile that was meant for only Harry. "What did you have planned next, iHarryi." His words practically purred as they passed his lips and it did exactly what he had hoped; it made the worried look in Harry's eyes vanish.

"Oh! Um..." Harry fidgeted as an unfamiliar warmth spread through his chest. He felt a shiver go down his spine and settle in his stomach. Harry found it impossible to look away from Tom when he was smiling like that.

"How about," Tom could see that Harry was having trouble getting his thoughts back into order. Maybe he'd put a little too much charm into that smile; he hadn't thought Harry would be that affected. "We go explore a little?"

Harry nodded and reached to clean up the table. After looking away from Tom, Harry was able to notice the heat in his cheeks and just how fast his heart was going.

"Leave it." Tom told Harry gently as he stood up smoothly. "I have a feeling it'll take care of itself."

"R-right." This was the Room even if it did look like an outdoor park; messes somehow always got cleaned up in the past even when he and Tom forgot to do it themselves.

With much less grace, Harry hurried out of his seat to follow after Tom. He didn't even think twice when Tom offered him a hand to hold. Harry sucked in a gasp though when instead of just holding his hand like they usually did, Tom laced their fingers together.

"So what's in the cabin?" Tom asked as they leisurely wandered down the path and back to the fountain.

"I don't know." Harry confessed. He was having a hard time keeping his blushing to a minimum; which was difficult considering Tom kept squeezing his hand gently now and then. "The door was always locked."

"Hm." Tom pursed his lips in thought. The room had never denied either of them in the past, so why had it created a little cabin and then locked the door to it? It couldn't be for a dangerous reason; the Room was a part of Hogwarts and the magic of Hogwarts would never allow something dangerous to be inside of it without good reason.

"Let's go see what's inside." Tom tugged at Harry's hand and smiled at him when the younger boy stuttered. "Maybe the cabin is where i _our_ i Room is."

Tom was trying to make it difficult for Harry to think, Harry was sure of it. The way he had smiled, how he had purred Harry's name, and then how he had linked their hands; Tom had taken control of the date and Harry wasn't sure if he was relieved or upset.

Just as Harry had found all the other times he had made his way into the garden version of the Room, the front door to the cabin was locked when Tom tried to open the door.

The fact that the Room was denying him actually irked Tom. In all the years he had been using the Room of Requirement, all of his needs had always been met.

"I told you it was locked." Harry was doing his best to suppress a snicker, but there was nothing he could do about the smirk that had stretched across his face.

Tom's nose scrunched up a little and he made a face at the door. Now that he was being denied access, Tom wanted to know why. The only way to find out was to get into the cabin.

" _Open._ " Tom hissed at the door and pushed at the door with his own magic to see if it would give. He could feel something change in the door, but when he turned the handle it still wouldn't budge.

After a moment of thought, Tom changed his tactics a little.

 _"I am the heir of Slytherin and I command you open."_ This time when Tom touched the door with magic he made sure to use the Slytherin Founder magic rather than his own.

It felt like the door was fighting against Tom. When he turned the handle and pulled it felt like he was trying to break the door free from a strong sticky charm. Finally, after several minutes of concentration, the door came free with a loud and creaky groan.

"Well. That sure was something." Harry murmured as he tried to look past Tom and into the dark Cabin. Now that the door was open Harry could feel a deep thrum of magic inside. It called to him in such a way that it left a strange ache in his chest the longer he stayed outside of the cabin.

Silently, Harry stepped past Tom and through the threshold of the cabin. The lighting inside was dim and Harry couldn't really make out any obvious furniture. With every step Harry took, the thrumming seemed to get stronger.

"Harry?"

Tom could feel that there was _something_ in the air around them, but he couldn't feel anything the way Harry could. At least he knew whatever it was that Harry was feeling, it wasn't a danger to them. Tom was sure that if whatever it was, was a danger then Harry would have felt it.

"What is it Harry?"

Harry shook his head and paused. He'd been so focused on the strange magic that was filling him that he had forgotten that his fingers were still laced with Tom's.

"I...don't really know." Harry shook his head again. The magic that was around them kept building up and Harry felt like he had stepped into a sauna, but without the heat. The magic was just getting so thick and heavy around him and inside of him.

It felt familiar though and in a way it felt like the magic was trying to...to hold him. It reminded him of the times Mrs. Malfoy would scoop him up and hug him close. Harry felt like the magic was trying to comfort him and welcome him.

"I think..." Harry's mind was starting to feel fuzzy and his body felt like it was moving slower. He would have said he felt tired, except he wasn't tired. Just really relaxed.

As much as he trusted Harry's sensitivity to magic, Tom couldn't stop from worrying when Harry's eyes drooped and his shoulders sagged. There was a small smile on Harry's lips, and he even sighed a little bit now and then.

"Talk to me Harry." Tom tried to stay calm, but his words came out a little harder then he would have liked.

The younger Slytherin hummed for a moment before turning his dazed gaze to Tom. "I think it's Hogwarts."

As soon as those words left his mouth, everything shifted around the two Slytherins. The dark room suddenly flashed with light blinding both Tom and Harry. When their eyes cleared they found themselves in a circular stone room that was lit with colored lights associated with the 4 houses. At the center of the room was a pedestal with a large floating crystal hovering over it.

"The core!" Tom sucked in his breath as he stared at the core that made up all of Hogwart's magic. He wanted to go to it, to examine it, but when he tried to lift his foot he found that both his feet were stuck to the ground. "Damn. Harry can you move?"

The boy next to him had gone so very still and his eyes were slowly opening and closing. Harry looked to be in some sort of trance and Tom felt a cold shiver go across his spine and shoulders at the sight of Harry staring blankly at the magical core.

"Harry?" Still the dark haired boy would not respond. Tom let go of Harry's hand to grab hold of his shoulder to shake him. "Harry?!"

He didn't even turn his head to look at Tom even as Harry's shoulders were shaken.

Tom was starting to feel panic. He knew, logically, that Hogwarts would not hurt them, but being this close to the core of the castle was affecting Harry badly. Even when Tom took control of the dampener and turned it to max strength, Harry still wouldn't come out of the trance.

"Talk to me Harry! Please!" Tom begged as he shook Harry's shoulder again.

While Tom fought to try and free Harry from the trance he had fallen into, Harry was being overwhelmed by the sheer power of the magic that was the castle's core. The magic had completely enveloped him and Harry couldn't even feel his own body anymore.

 _"Little one."_

There was a voice laced inside of the magic that Harry felt and heard. The words were like a brush of gentle fingers through his hair.

 _"Come here Little one."_

Despite Tom shaking his shoulder, Harry felt like there was something or someone tugging at his arm. His legs felt like there were weights attached to them and he was barely able to take as tep foward. Harry could kind of hear Tom calling out for him, but it was like Tom was far away and underwater.

 _"I will not hurt you Little one."_ The voice, which Harry was pretty sure at that point was Hogwarts, was gentle and comforting.

"It's ok Tom." Harry spoke when he felt Tom trying to hold onto his shoulder. "It's ok. We're safe." He wanted to smile at Tom, to reassure him, but Harry couldn't look away from the floating crystal.

Trepidation filled Tom and he fought with himself for several long minutes. Harry kept reassuring him that everything was fine, but he didn't want to let go of Harry.

"Tom," With his eyes still on the crystal, Harry reached up and gently took Tom's hand where it was clinging to Harry's shoulder. "Trust me. Please."

Tom's hand tightened for a moment and the urge to just grab Harry and hold him tight against his chest filled him. He did trust Harry, but the younger Slytherin was his everything; his whole world. What if whatever was happening hurt Harry? If Tom let him go then it would be Tom's fault.

"I'll be fine Tom. I promise. I'll come right back to you." Harry's voice was calm and his words had a soothing quality for Tom. Harry's magic flowed through their bond and calmed Tom's frantic and paranoid thoughts.

Slowly, Tom's hand released Harry's shoulder. His fingers lingered on Harry's sleeve until he was out of reach.

Harry's legs still felt heavy as he made his way to the magical core.

" _My dear Little one. So brave, so loyal, and filled with endless kindness and warmth._ " If Harry hadn't been so relaxed by the trance he might have blushed at the compliments. _"So curious about the world. And yet, when you found out about me you did not seek out the Guardians for power. No. You just wanted to learn."_

Harry had never liked being the center of attention; Tom was much better at that sort of thing. Gaining power would only put Harry into the spotlight.

" _You have gone through so much Little one."_ i The castle's voice whispered into Harry's mind. _"You and your dear Tom. Become my heir so that I may protect you both better."_

Why in the world would Harry ever refuse Hogwarts anything? The castle had always felt safe to him and it had always done its best to help him. He'd always felt at home with the Malfoy's, but there was just something about Hogwarts that felt...felt like a forever home.

 _"Touch my core and become my heir."_

Harry's hand was barely a breath away from the crystal. Power curled and flowed around his stretching fingers. Magic whispered across his skin, encouraging him as he finally gave in to the urge that he had been feeling ever since he had first laid eyes on the crystal core.

The moment his fingers lightly touched the crystal, the magic surged around Harry in colorful waves. Even Tom could see the magic as it surrounded Harry and embraced him. Harry could feel Hogwarts reaching into him to wrap around his own magical core.

 _"My Heir."_

The deed was done and the deal was made. Knowledge flitted across his mind, appearing and disappearing faster than Harry could understand. He had a feeling though that he'd eventually learn everything that the castle was giving him.

 _"Heir of Slytherin. Take care of my Little one."_ Hogwarts reached out with its magic to gently caress Tom's cheek. In that moment Tom was able to move again and he rushed forward to catch Harry as he wavered and staggered. " _He must rest now."_

Only part of the conversation between Harry and the castle had been heard by Tom, but he had been allowed to hear just enough to know what had been given to Harry.

Once Harry was safely in his arms, the castle sent them back into the Room of Requirement; which had changed to the training room that Harry and Tom were used to.

"It's never just a normal day with you, is it Harry?" Tom mumbled as he helped Harry to stay standing.

Harry groaned softly and rubbed at his temples. "At least I'm not boring." He grinned tiredly up at Tom. "And at least the castle waited until the end of our date." He could almost feel the castle laughing softly in his mind.

That was going to be weird to get used to.

The two Slytherins made it down to their dorm quickly enough, Harry taking them down secret passage ways that the castle was telling him about in order to avoid any students or staff that were wandering around.

* * *

It took months for Harry to get used to the constant presence the castle had in his mind and magic. Even when he was away during winter break he could still feel the castle's magic laced with his own. It was weaker the farther away he was from the castle, but it was always there.

Thanks to the connection though Harry was able to know almost instantly where things were in the castle. He found all sorts of secret rooms and passages; even Rowena's secret library was now unlocked to him. Harry found he even knew where all the Guardians were. His connection to the school also made it so that he wasn't overwhelmed by Hogwart's magic any longer.

The only thing that Harry couldn't really do was know where everyone was constantly. If he focused his magic with Hogwarts he could find someone, but it wasn't easy. Humans moved around a lot and their own magic tended to mess with Harry's searching.

Harry's new abilities had another benefit that he hadn't considered; Tom wasn't as strict about having one of his followers with Harry at all times. Granted whenever Harry was almost always with Tom when he wasn't in classes or with his own friends.

There was one thing that disturbed Harry though whenever he used his connection to Hogwarts to find where people where; a few people were practically invisible to the school.

Sir Leighleas was one of the people that Harry had trouble finding, but the man had so many glamours and spells around him that it made sense. At first Tom was hard to find, until Harry figured out that he could find Tom using a combination of Hogwarts and their bond.

Dumbledore was the other person that tended to evade Harry's new sight. And it disturbed both Tom and Harry.

Hogwarts wasn't all to happy about this development either. The castle was able to keep a better eye on Dumbledore than Harry was, but only when the man was inside. As soon as he was outside the castle would lose sight of him.

Thanks to his connection to Hogwarts, Harry was able to get a better handle on his sensitivity as well. By the time June rolled around he was able to actually lessen the strength of the dampening charm.

With the help of Tom and Hogwarts, Harry was able to learn more about wards and how to manipulate them. Harry was even able to set the wards to accept Tom if he wanted to apparate in or out of Hogwarts. That way Tom would be able to visit even after graduating.

"Do you have everything packed?" It was the last Saturday before the end of term and Tom and Harry were spending it sequestered in the Room of Requirement. They'd been going on dates every other week and each time they'd gone to the Room.

Their final exams were finally done so they were cuddling together on a sofa in front of a gently crackling fire. Harry's head was on Tom's lap. Tom's fingers were gently brushing through Harry's hair while Harry napped.

"Mhm." Harry hummed before sighing happily when Tom continued to pet his hair.

That summer was going to be difficult for the two of them to get alone time. With the war still going on, the Malfoy home would still be full of teenagers and children that the Malfoy's were taking care of.

Tom would also be starting an internship at the Ministry thanks to Mr. Malfoy's connections.

So this would probably be one of the last moments of quiet and privacy that Tom and Harry would have.

"Are you falling asleep on me?" Tom asked with a chuckle when Harry's breathing slowed.

"Mhmm."

The last few months had been good for Tom and Harry. They'd grown closer and the awkwardness between the two of them had faded by the third date. As much as Tom desperately tried to keep things slow between them, they'd shared kisses almost every time they were alone.

For the most part their kisses were innocent. Surprisingly enough it was Harry that tried to push them further and it was Tom that would stop them when things heated up too much.

"Come on sleepy head." Tom stopped playing with Harry's hair to instead poke at his cheek. "We can't sleep in here. And I have a meeting with the prefects and headmaster."

Harry grumbled and cracked one eye open to stare up at Tom. He looked up at him sourly before huffing and sitting up. "Scheduling a meeting right before break is ridiculous." He mumbled hatefully.

"It's just for last minute things. And for me to put in my suggestions for new prefects and who the new headboy should be." Tom wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders comfortingly. "The meeting shouldn't be too long." He kissed at the corner of Harry's mouth to try and get him to stop pouting.

"I still think it's stupid."

Tom agreed completely, but he still had an image to keep up. Many of the prefects were his followers by this point and he wanted to make sure they knew their orders for the next year.

It was his long term goal to make sure Harry ended up as a prefect and then as Headboy for his 7th year. But seeing as how Harry would only be a 4th year student in the following year, Tom would have to rely on his prefect followers.

It was Tom's long term goal to get Harry to be Headboy for his 7th year. That way Harry would have as much protection as possible.

"We'll go down and see Senestra after dinner." Tom reluctantly stood up and smoothed out the wrinkles in his robes.

"Sounds good." Harry was still upset that he couldn't spend more time with Tom, but he'd get over it. Knowing that they were going to go see the ancient basalisk though had Harry feeling like he wanted to and visit all of the Guardians one last time before boarding the train and heading home for the summer.

Tom kissed Harry's forehead before leaving the Room. Harry on the other hand had the Room shift until he was in the tower room that Fawkes liked best. Apollo joined them after awhile and the three spent time talking. The Demiguise also gave Harry a couple books that he thought would be useful over the summer.

Harry had just enough time after Apollo and Fawkes were done talking to him to go that he wanted to go and meet up with Albino.

But first Harry would have to find one of the older students to go with him. Hogwarts had limited 'sight' of the grounds and it was one of the few places that Harry could potentially be attacked while at school.

Thankfully Harry ran into Orion and Rupert who had been on their way out to the quidditch field for a friendly game. The quidditch field wasn't too far from the glade that the thestrals could be found.

"You are going to join the team next year, right Harry?" Orion asked as the three of them were joined by a few other third years that were interested in a friendly game.

Casual mixed quidditch matches among the third years had become a normal thing.

"I don't know." Harry rubbed at the back of his head. "Maybe? I just don't want to fall behind on my studies."

"You have to join Harry!" Rupert grinned as he shoved at Harry. "Slytherin is losing their seeker and no one else has the natural talent that you do." When Harry continued to frown, he tried again. "And how else are we going to play against each other? Casual matches are fine, but a real game would be so much better!"

"I'll think about it."

Harry was positive both Orion and Rupert would be bugging him all summer until he gave in and tried out for the Slytherin team the following year.

"If Hadrian doesn't want to play then he doesn't have to." Harry's head whipped around and he spotted Eileen following after the group.

"He wants to play, he's just being too much of a goody goody about it." Orion huffed at the girl.

Once again Orion and Eileen started arguing back and forth while Rupert and Harry rolled their eyes.

"Why don't you two just kiss already?" Rupert said with a smirk as both Orion and Eileen flushed brightly.

Once they were at the quidditch pitch, after Orion and Eileen both yelled at Rupert, Hadrian split off to go see the thestrals. Eileen joined him as well as one of the older Ravenclaw girls that had become one of Tom's followers some time ago.

For the most part the older Ravenclaw and Eileen left Harry alone while he went to the thestrals. Neither of the girls could see the invisible horses, but they could see when Harry's robe was picked up and nipped at.

 _"You are leaving soon."_ Albino said a little somberly.

"It's just for the summer." Harry's words were mumbled so he wouldn't get any strange looks from the girls.

 _"We would all prefer if you stayed."_ Albino nudged at Harry's chest and snorted softly. Several of the other thestrals that were still near Harry tossed their heads and nudged at the dark haired boy as well.

Harry laughed and shook his head. " _I can't stay. I'd love to honestly, but I would miss my family._ " As much as Harry loved Hogwarts he also loved the Malfoy's. They'd been his first family after Tom and Harry would always see them as such.

Albino seemed to sigh, though it sounded like a rattle in his chest, but he understood. _"You will take care of yourself yes?"_

"If I don't then there's a long list of people that will lock me up for my own safety." That got a little giggle from Eileen even though she had no idea who Harry was talking to. She just assumed it was either one of the snakes that was almost always with Harry or another snake.

All of the guardians seemed to be of the same mind about Harry and Tom leaving the school for any length of time. Senestra was even more frustrated since Tom would be graduating.

"Hadrian?"

Harry turned his head while trying to push one of the younger thestrals away. Eileen was gesturing for him and the older Ravenclaw was already walking back towards the quidditch pitch.

"Dinner will be soon. We should probably head back."

"I'll be right there Eileen." Harry wanted just a few more minutes with Albino and his herd. "I'll be fine. I'll only be a minute."

Eileen frowned, but shrugged when Harry just shooed her away with a wave of his hand. It wasn't like she'd be that far away and it'd been months since Harry had last gotten into trouble.

 _"You have good friends."_ Albino tossed his snowy white head and the other thestrals backed off. i _"I feel great loyalty to you from them."_ i

"Not really sure what I did to deserve it though." Harry couldn't spend forever with Albino or else he knew Eileen would back track to get him.

With a hissing laugh Albino lowered his head so he and Harry could see eye to eye. _"Sometimes I forget that you are a Slytherin. Sometimes friendships just happen, young Harry. Enjoy it._ "

Harry snorted and gave Albino one last pat on his scaly neck. "I guess." He hesitated before sighing at himself. "I better go. I'll see you in a few months." They shared a goodbye before Harry stuffed his hands into his pockets and hurried off after Eileen.

When Harry didn't catch up to Eileen after a few minutes, he grew concerned. He hadn't lagged behind that much, and yet he couldn't even see either of the girls that had been with him.

In fact...the trees were starting to look thicker.

That wasn't right though. Harry knew he was going in the right direction back towards the castle. The Thestral glade wasn't that far from the quidditch pitch and he should have been able to see the towers through the trees.

With a frown he turned back to return to Albino and the other thestrals. It'd be faster to ask for a ride back to the castle and then ask for forgiveness from Eileen.

"Shit." Harry cursed as he dropped his sensitivity and looked around sharply when he realized he was nowhere near the thestrals. Magic, disgusting magic, was all around him and instantly Harry knew what was going on. He had been trapped in a type of location loop that kept him from moving forward or back.

There was only one person that would do this. Dumbledore.

Harry lifted his wand to begin undoing the trap only to feel a presence right behind him. He spun around and threw up a hasty silent shield.

"I'm impressed." Dumbledore was grinning and his blue eyes were twinkling. He stepped out from behind a tree and lifted his hands to show he was unarmed. "It didn't take you very long at all to realize you were trapped."

The dueling lessons with Sir Leighleas quickly came to Harry and his mouth snapped shut. He took up a dueling stance and waited for Dumbeldore to make the first move. His sensitivity would come in useful to predict what sorts of spells Dumbledore would throw, but Harry had to be careful.

Without his dampener Harry could still become overwhelmed by a powerful spell despite the control he had gained over the last few months.

"Just stand down Hadrian. I don't want to hurt you."

"Bullshit." Harry was at his whits end with Dumbledore and he was tired of dealing with the man.

The older man wearily sighed and shook his head sadly. "You're in danger my boy. I am just trying to protect you. Grindelwald-"

"What about Grindelwald?" Harry snarled. He was trying to get Dumbledore to keep talking while he built up his magic to take down the trap. He'd already silently and wandlessly set up several more shields to be on the safe side.

"He's after you my boy. You and Tom. I just want to keep you safe."

Despite his warm and trusting nature, Harry was still a Slytherin. So he lowered his wand slightly as if to show he trusted the man, Harry was working towards a different goal. He needed to keep the old man busy until Harry could find the edge of the trap so he could take it out.

"That's it Hadrian."

Only a few people knew just how good of a manipulator Harry could be. And of those people only Tom knew how to not fall for Harry's tricks. So when Dumbledore lowered his wand just enough, Harry struck.

He slammed his magic against the edge of the trap and grinned when the trap fell.

"Hadrian!"

Harry didn't stop to think; he ran. Even with all the training he had gone through the last few years with Sir Leighleas and Tom, he knew he was no match for Dumbledore. His best chance was to get as close to the castle as he could and hope someone could come to help. As a last resort he'd call upon the guardians, but he would rather not have to.

"You stupid boy!" Dumbledore yelled as he chased after Harry, slinging spells at him over and over. Most of Harry's shields stopped the hex's and curses, but one by one the shields failed as they were bombarded.

He knew he wouldn't last long. Dumbledore could fling spells faster than Harry could create shields.

"You leave me no choice Hadrian."

Harry's last shield failed and he was sent flying by a tripping hex. He cried out as his he stopped his fall with his free hand and then rolled. With his adrenaline running high, Harry didn't notice that his wrist had snapped from his fall.

A body binding spell hit Harry and he could do nothing but watch helplessly as Dumbledore, with his cold blue eyes and viscous dark magic, stalked up to him.

Dumbledore bent over Harry, but didn't touch him, once he was close enough. The man's eyes fluttered shut as he took a deep breath as if smelling Harry. "Your magic is just so potent Hadrian. I can't afford to let you have free will. If I can't have you under my control then I will just have to strip you of everything you have."

With his entire body bound, Harry was forced to watch as Dumbledore's hand lifted and reached towards him.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

A red curse hit Dumbledore against his side and the man was flung away from Harry. Sir Leighleas charged past Harry to stand between him and Dumbledore.

"I will not let you harm Hadrian!" Sir Leighleas hissed as he proceeded to duel with Harry's attacker.

"As if you can stop me." Dumbledore was so focused on stopping the mediwizard's attacks that he didn't notice Tom rushing up to Harry to unbind him.

"Tom!" Harry was yanked to his feet as soon as the spell was off of him. "I'm sorry!" He didn't have time to say anything else as Tom pulled him along into a frantic run.

"It's not your fault." Tom barely got the words out he was panting so hard. "Dumbledore set several traps and tricked all of us." He'd been delayed because several students had been imperiused. If it weren't for the fact that Hogwarts herself had alerted Tom to the attack then he might have been too late.

One of the duelers behind them screamed in agony and Harry whimpered involuntarily. Tom's hand tightened around Harry's, but he didn't dare look back.

They were both quick to figure out that it had been Sir Leighleas that had fallen when another spell barely missed Tom and Harry.

"Damn it all." Tom hissed out. They'd made some time and put enough distance between them and Dumbledore, but it wasn't much of a lead.

Making a snap decision, Tom stopped and shoved Harry behind him. He snarled viciously and began casting rapidly at the man that was so determined to capture them.

Harry quickly threw up shield after shield, supporting Tom as he fought against Dumbledore who's approach had only just barely slowed. He split his magic between the shields and giving Tom extra power.

"How the hell is he still so strong?!" Thanks to Harry, Tom was on even footing with Dumbledore, but only barely.

It didn't make sense to the Headboy. Dumbledore had used several high power spells to delay Tom and Sir Leighleas, trap Harry, and had just finished dueling with Sir Leighleas. So how did he still have so much power?

"Tom-" Harry groaned softly. He was being forced to tap into the magic of Hogwarts to keep them both from falling to Dumbledore's spells. The man had given up on non lethal spells and was now attacking them with everything he had. "I don't know how much longer I can go."

How had no one noticed the fight? They weren't that far from Hogwarts, and yet no one was coming to help. Had Dumbledore set even more traps and imperiused more people then Tom had first thought?

"Give up boys." Dumbledore didn't even sound winded. His eyes were blazing as he matched Tom spell for spell. "You are only making this harder on yourselves."

There didn't seem to be any way for them to escape. If Tom stopped attacking, then Dumbledore would hit their shields and break them before they could run or apparate away. Tom couldn't send Harry for help because Harry was the one keeping the shields powered and if Harry ran he would become a target for Dumbledore.

Tom's best plan was for them to hold out as long as possible until SOMEONE took notice. It was a bad plan and Tom knew it.

"Please," Harry was on his knees, his legs having grown too weak to hold him up. "Hogwarts. Please help." He couldn't take too much of Hogwarts power all at once, it would burn out his own magical core trying to control so much power. He also couldn't keep siphoning off magic the way he, it was wearing him out too quickly.

His pleas were heard and a sudden surge of power enveloped Harry and Tom. The two boys heard the trill of a phoenix and they were filled with renewed energy by its song.

"A phoenix?!"

The magic continued to grow stronger and stronger until Harry had to slam his eyes closed to block out the overwhelming colors.

Harry felt a tug in his chest that he had hoped to never feel again. "To-om!" He grabbed onto Tom's leg instinctively and held on as the magic that had been building and swirling around them coalesced into them.

It felt like they were being lifted, spun, and thrown all at once as the magic surged into their bodies. The world was a blur of color and shape that left both Tom and Harry feeling dizzy and nauseous.

After what felt like an eternity, they slammed onto the ground again.

"That," Harry swallowed hard to keep from throwing up. "Was definitely not what that should have felt like." He was sure they had just traveled through time, but it'd been so much more violent then from what Harry remembered.

"I feel like a heard of hippogriffs decided to have a dance party on me." Tom was laying on his stomach on the damp ground, one arm pillowed under his head and the other flung out to the side.

The two groaned for another minute or so before Tom was finally able to push himself up into a sitting position up on his knees. His nose wrinkled in disgust as he noticed the front of his robes were muddy from their fall.

 _"Well! It's about time."_ Harry lifted his head to look at the demiguise he had gotten to know. " _Come, come you two. You need to leave quickly."_

Harry finally noticed that he and Tom were laying rather close to the edge of the Hogwarts wards.

 _"He must not find out you have arrived. Not yet at least."_ Apollo was saying as he reached out to help Harry to his feet; since Tom didn't seem to need the extra hand. _"Head to Gringotts. They will be able to help you from here."_

"Gringotts. Got it." Harry's head felt like someone was pounding at it with a mallet and he was swallowing constantly to keep from being sick. He was feeling the backlash of the sudden and overpowered time travel that he now knew had been done by Hogwarts.

"Gringotts?" Tom could see Apollo the demiguise, but he couldn't understand the creature the way Harry could.

Harry groaned again and took Tom's hand to lead him past the wards. He shivered as they slipped past the wards and his knees buckled at the feeling of Hogwarts's magic no longer fully encompassing him.

 _"Take care young Heirs."_ Apollo waved at Tom and Harry before tapping into Ravenclaw's magic to return to the castle.

"Explain to me what happened," Tom was rubbing his temples trying to ease his own headache. "After we get as far from here as possible."

Harry nodded. "We need to get to Gringotts."

"Then off to Diagon Alley we go." Tom slipped an arm around Harry and took several steadying breaths to focus his magic. He was delighted to find that thanks to whatever it was that Hogwarts had done, his magic was back to full strength.

After a moment of fighting off his headache, Tom apparated them both away from Hogwarts and Scotland and to just outside of The Leaky Cauldron in London.

* * *

Special thanks to: Louise to, Deb

A/N: Remember guys, I do have a tumblr: ethrildragon. I usually announce updates and stuff over there. (I also love random questions)


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: Do not own HP

A/N: sorry for being gone these last few weeks. I've been busy with real life things and school.

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 29: A Wolf in Muggle Clothing

As much as the boys wanted to go straight to Gringotts, they were unsure if they could. It had just been going on dinner time back in the past, but here in the future it was already dark and very late. The best thing they could do was to hunker down for the night and go to Gringotts first thing in the morning.

With that decision made, Tom tiredly led Harry into The Leaky Cauldron. He jolted in surprise when he vaguely recognized the man behind the counter.

Back in the past, barkeep Tom had been young and just out of Hogwarts. This man now was older, hunched, balding, and had wrinkles all around his mouth.

"You boys are out late." Barkeep Tom had to raise his voice to be heard over the crowd of people that were in the bar for dinner. "Home from Hogwarts early?"

"We had an emergency." Tom told the barkeep as he reached into his pocket. He was thankful that he kept his bottomless bag with him at all times with his money inside. "We need a room for the night."

"Of course." Barkeep Tom took the offered money when it was held out to him. "You boys look dead on your feet. I can have some food sent up to you if you want."

Harry's stomach grumbled loudly at the suggestion of food and he flushed. With the bar as loud as it was he was hopeful no one else had heard the sound.

"That would be appreciated." Tom handed over a few more coins to pay for dinner and then took the key that the barkeep held out to them.

The two were in their temporary room as quickly as possible and as soon as the door was closed silencing charms went up and the noise from downstairs dimmed to a soft mumble.

Tom leaned his back against the door tiredly and ran a hand through his hair. His mind was going in several directions at once making it difficult for him to even remotely try to focus on one thing at a time. He needed to make a plan. They would need to find some place to stay. What was Harry to do about school? What was he supposed to do about work? It wasn't like he could just waltz right into the ministry to try and start the internship Mr. Malfoy had setup for him back in his own time.

It was a good thing they had their vaults at Gringotts; the money there would at least tide them over until he could think clearly enough to figure out what to do.

"Any idea how we got here?" Tom asked as he looked at Harry. His thoughts suddenly came to a stop and he jolted physically. "Harry...your eyes." With everything that had happened to them, Tom hadn't had time to really get a good look at Harry.

"Your eyes!"

With a frown Tom went over to the enchanted mirror that was on the wall over the solitary desk and peered into it. Sure enough his black eyes, the color they had turned to after the blood adoption to the Malfoy's, had changed back to the blue he had been born with.

Harry's eyes, which had been a light green for years, were once more a rich emerald green.

"W-what do you think it means?" Harry asked as he squinted into the mirror. He huffed and rubbed at his eyes in irritation. "Why can't I see clearly?" He mumbled angrily.

Tom grabbed Harry's hands gently. "I think," He said slowly as he considered all the reasons for their physical changes. "I think maybe the time travel may have broken our blood adoptions."

"That doesn't make sense Tom." Harry was glaring at the mirror.

"You probably need glasses again Harry." Tom had no other explanations, but Harry was right. The only explanation he could come up with really didn't make much sense. A blood adoption was supposed to last as long as the people that gave you the blood were alive. Or until the adopted child came of age and decided to break it themselves like Tom had been planning on doing.

By Tom's calculations, if they were in Harry's original time, then about 60 years had passed by. Drake and Demeri Malfoy would be in their late 90's if they were still alive; since most wizards and witches tended to live into their second century then there was a chance their adopted parents were still around.

But the most likely outcome was that they were dead. Tom decided not to tell Harry about his conclusion for the time being.

"We'll get you glasses sometime tomorrow." Hopefully the Goblins would know where they could go for everything they would need.

Harry was silent for a long time as he stared into the mirror, his nose only an inch or two away from the smooth surface. Tom could see how misty those green orbs were and his throat clenched. Harry was holding back tears.

"Talk to me." Tom whispered. When Harry didn't answer he let out a long sigh. He pulled Harry away from the mirror and guided him over to the bed. "Harry. Please."

The younger book took in a shuddering breath and blinked several times to try and get rid of the tears that were trying to fall. "I'm scared Tom."

There were so many emotions going through Harry, but the one that he felt the strongest was fear. He didn't know why he was so scared though.

"We'll get through this Harry." Tom whispered as he sat down next to Harry and pulled him into a tight embrace. "It's understandable that you're afraid. This time...your time...was a scary place for you as a child."

There was a knock at their door. It turned out to be their food on an unmanned floating tray.

"I'm scared too." It was hard for Tom to admit it, but he knew it was what Harry needed to hear. "There are so many things I can't control or predict here. I...I have no idea what to expect." He shuddered and winced at his display of weakness.

"I wish I could tell you everything about my time." Harry picked up one of the chips and nibbled on it. "But I can't really remember much."

"You were a kid Harry, not even at Hogwarts yet. I don't expect you to remember everything." Tom could remember a few things such as how televisions were more common and automobiles were different. Hopefully the magical world won't be so different from the past.

The two ate in silence for awhile. Eventually Tom had to put the tray off to the side as Harry started nodding off while leaned up against him.

They would need new wardrobes, Tom realized as he helped Harry strip out of his outer clothes. All of their worldly possessions were in the past and Tom doubted they would be able to get them back. Other than the bag Harry had had with him, their wands, Tom's bottomless pouch, and the clothes on their backs, they had nothing.

"Get some sleep Harry." Tom tucked the younger boy into one of the two beds in the room. "Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

Just as Tom got up to go to his own bed, Harry grabbed hold of his wrist. He looked up at Tom with big pleading green eyes that always had Tom's heart racing and his chest seizing up.

Without even having to be asked, Tom pulled the covers back and climbed into the single bed with Harry. It was a tight fit, but it wasn't the first time the two of them had squeezed into a small bed together. They just curled up together with Harry laying on Tom's arm and partially on his chest.

Being tangled up with Harry helped to relax Tom and he quickly followed his young love into the oblivion of sleep.

* * *

Both Harry and Tom were extremely lethargic by morning. They slept in late and only got up when Barkeep Tom knocked on their door to invite them down to breakfast.

Since Harry was still underage, Tom was the one to cast the charms to freshen up their clothes after they took turns washing up in the washroom.

Thankfully there weren't many people around when they went down for breakfast which meant they could at least eat quietly and without worrying of being noticed.

"So what do you boys have planned today?" Barkeep Tom asked with a grin. There weren't many people in the pub so it gave the Barkeep the chance to chat with the two boys.

"We have an appointment at Gringotts." Tom kept his tone light as he smiled a bit at the older man. "Afterwards we have some errands to run before heading home."

"Well I hope you two have a successful day then."

Harry didn't have much of an appetite and it took Tom prodding him a few times just for Harry to get down half a muffin and some juice. He was still feeling out of it from the time travelling and his nerves were still a wreck.

It was also possible, Tom realized, that Harry was in shock.

The past had become his permanent home and now here he was in his own time again. Harry couldn't quite get his mind wrapped around that fact and his rational mind was starting to catch up; which meant the realization that people from the past might not even be around anymore.

"Come on." Tom could feel Harry's emotions getting progressively more chaotic through their bond. "Let's get to Gringotts." He needed to keep Harry busy so that the younger teen wouldn't panic or worse.

"R-right."

Gringotts was virtually empty that morning. Based on what the Barkeep Tom had told them, Tom figured most people weren't even going to be around since Hogwarts students wouldn't be leaving for the summer until later.

"Well. It's about time." Tom and Harry weren't in the bank more than a minute before they were approached by an older looking Goblin.

Tom squinted at the goblin before something in his mind clicked. "Gothrack?"

Sure enough the goblin in question seemed rather pleased at being recognized. For him it'd been over 50 years since he'd last seen the boys, but for them it'd only been a year. Most wizards couldn't tell goblins apart even if one had pink whiskers. It should have been very difficult for the boys to recognize Gothrack since he'd aged during the time they'd been gone.

"If you would follow me." Gothrack bowed slightly and then motioned towards the back hallway that led to the private meeting rooms and offices.

The office that Tom and Harry were taken to was large and there were various weapons mounted along the back wall; a sign that Gothrack was a high ranking Goblin among his brethren.

"We at Gringotts were greatly concerned when you both suddenly vanished 50 years ago." He told Tom and Harry as he shut the door and threw up privacy wards. He motioned for them to take their seats before going behind the desk. "We assisted the school and the Malfoy's in searching for you."

"Mother and father...are they-" Harry bit his lip and winced at the apologetic look that Gothrack gave them.

"They passed away. If you want details I can give them...but that is not what you need to hear right now." With a snap of his fingers a rather thick folder appeared in front of him. "Due to their deaths, and the death of your adopted brother Lord Abraxas, your blood adoptions were voided."

"Abraxas?!" Now that surprised Tom greatly. He could understand the older Malfoy's passing away, but Abraxas should have still been alive. Unless...

"Dragon pox. We have a cure now, but many were lost before it was developed." The goblin hated giving depressing news, but they needed to know about everything that had changed since their journey through time. "Do you need a minute?"

Quickly, Tom shook his head. He took Harry's hand and squeezed it gently. If Tom hadn't been convinced before about Harry being in shock, he was now. He had no idea what to do about it. Death was one of the things that Tom had always tried to shield Harry from.

"Lord Abraxas figured that the two of you must have been flung through time and as such worked with Gringotts to make contingencies." Gothrack tapped at the thick folder. "If I may?"

"Go on."

Harry was only half listening as Gothrack opened up the file and began telling them about the things that Abraxas had setup. He knew there was a vault for them, but Harry missed the part of the conversation about what was in the vault.

He knew that Tom hadn't been as close to the Malfoy's as he himself had been; Tom had been fond of their adopted parents, but Harry had been the one that had loved them. Abraxas had been the big brother that Harry had always wanted. He just...he couldn't imagine a world without them.

"And what became of Sir Leighleas?" Harry was able to snap out of his shock and pain when Tom asked about the mediwizard that had secretly been Gellert Grindelwald.

"Ah..." Gothrack folded his hands over the folder and cleared his throat. "That is a rather complicated story. Do you want the wizard version or the goblin version?"

"Goblin." Harry croaked out. He had a feeling the wizard version of the story would be missing a great deal of information. Goblins had always been reliable and trustworthy; at least to Tom and Harry.

With a sharp toothed grin Gothrack nodded. "We know that you two boys were attacked the evening before you were to head home for the summer. When Aurors arrived, they found a bound and unconscious Grindelwald and a very distraught and injured Dumbledore." Gothrack pulled out a couple news articles with pictures of Grindelwald in custody and handed them to Tom and Harry.

"Dumbledore claimed that Grindelwald had done something to you boys, but no matter what the aurors did, they could not get Grindelwald to reveal what he had allegedly done."

"That's a crock of Griffon Shit." Tom cursed as he glared down at the picture of Dumbledore receiving an award of some sort.

Gothrack nodded and sighed tiredly. "Gringotts secretly interviewed Grindelwald and learned the truth. The goblin nation tried to reveal Dumbledore's crimes, but...well...wizards do not like being told they were wrong by non wizards."

"Is he...is Gellert dead?" Harry's voice was barely above a squeak and his eyes were red from holding back tears.

"That is a little bit of good news. We were able to get Grindelwald out and replaced him with a very well made golem. His golem is currently locked away in Nurmengard while Grindelwald himself is protected and hidden under goblin magic."

Tom snorted softly. "And they fell for it? A golem?"

The goblin on the other side of the desk smiled once more at them, his teeth sharp and pointy and his gaze almost feral. "Wizards are fools. They believe Mother Magic took Grindelwald's magic from him as punishment. Who are we to correct them?"

At least Gellert was alive; that's all Harry cared about. His heart wouldn't have been able to handle losing the one other adult that he had always seen as a friend and parental figure.

"D-do you know what happened to our friends?" Harry asked quickly. His thoughts turned to Orion and Eileen, Myrtle and Rupert. They would be old by now with children and possibly grandchildren.

"That is where things get complicated."

"As if they weren't already complicated enough." Tom muttered under his breath.

Gothrack nodded slowly and turned a few pages in the file. "We have evidence that Dumbledore cast widespread dark magic to control Magical Britain. He started with those closest to you and worked his way out." Gothrack cleared his throat and shook his head. "We did what we could, but he worked quickly and quietly. Most of his manipulations went unnoticed until it was too late."

"What did he do?" After spending years in Slytherin, a house full of cunning and clever snakes, Tom could tell when a person was skirting around a topic.

"He crafted a new Dark Lord and named him Lord Voldemort." Gothrack sneered and rolled his eyes at the name. "There are rumors, spread by Dumbledore, that Lord Voldemort is really one Tom Marvolo Riddle."

"I haven't used that name in years." Tom sniffed and rolled his shoulders a little in agitation. "He's still stuck on that?" Tom was at a loss at how ridiculous Dumbledore was. Only a handful of people even knew Tom's birth name since he'd never used it in school.

With a shrug Gothrack went back to the story. "Lord Voldemort started a blood purity war and chaos spread once more. Needless to say his plan didn't completely work. The Dark Lord's followers were mostly made up of imperiused purebloods and lunatics. His plan nearly failed when he set the fake Voldemort to attack a 1 year old Harry Potter on Halloween night."

Another news article was handed to Tom and Harry to look at. It was about the night that Harry had lost his parents and about how Lord Voldemort had vanished.

"We don't yet know how you did it, Mister Potter, but thanks to you the fake Dark Lord was vanquished and the magical world has been at peace for 13 years."

Harry read through the article in a state of detachment. He had known his parents had died, but he had never known how they had died.

"That doesn't answer Harry's question. What about our friends and allies?" Tom asked as he shoved the paper away so Harry would stop focusing on the image of a damaged cottage with a strange skull and snake hanging above it.

Gothrack nodded and sighed softly. "Eileen Prince married a muggle named Tobias Snape. We believe she was tricked into doing so, but she refused our offers of help. She had a son named Severus Snape and 'officially' died after he turned 19."

"Officially?" Tom's brow arched up and gave Gothrack a look.

"I can neither confirm nor deny that Eileen Prince changed her name to Irma Pince and works as a spy for us at Hogwarts."

"Ah. I see." Tom leaned back in his seat and smirked in understanding. With just that little bit of information he knew that the goblin nation was working on something big to take down Dumbledore.

"We were able to get to Orion Black before he was forced into a similar situation." Gothrack went back to explaining things to Tom and Harry. "He chose to marry his cousin Walburga Black and they had two sons; Sirius and Regulus. While using Lord Voldemort, Dumbledore attempted to make both Blacks into followers of the Dark Lord, but failed thanks in part to the Goblin Magic we had placed on the Black home."

With a sigh Gothrack turned the page in the file and handed Tom and Harry a sealed letter. "Orion Black passed away of unknown circumstances, along with his youngest son Regulus, in 1979. Please read that after our meeting has concluded.

"Myrtle Warren went missing during the war started by Lord Voldemort. We have been searching for her, but have been unable to find anything. Rupert Flint married and had a son, daughter, and several grandchildren. We suspect that Rupert Flint was able to escape Dumbledore's notice since he had been sorted into Gryffindor. He is currently enjoying his retirement in southern France."

Harry was starting to tune Gothrack out again; the shock from everything settling in. He'd missed so much...his friends had all grown up and gone on with their lives; they'd had children! Just yesterday, to him at least, he'd had lunch with everyone and had made plans for the summer.

"-Draco Malfoy, named after his great grandfather."

Gothrack had moved onto summarizing the lives of Tom's companions and allies after finishing up with Harry's friends.

"How many of my followers were tricked or forced into following the fake Dark Lord?" Tom was asking Gothrack. His voice sounded distant to Harry's ears and Harry was having trouble focusing on anything at all.

"Perhaps we should take a break." Gothrack commented when he noticed just how out of it the younger of the two boys was. "I will send for tea and biscuits."

"Thank you Gothrack." Tom was out of his chair quickly and helped Harry out of his own seat to take him over to sofa on the other side of the room.

Tom knew Harry well enough that he noticed the signs of a panic attack coming on even as Harry calmly took a seat at the sofa.

"Breath for me Harry." Tom whispered as he pulled the smaller boy onto his lap and pressed Harry's ear to his chest. "Copy me."

It helped, listening to Tom's heartbeat and feeling his chest rise and fall with each breath taken in. Harry still felt like he was at the edge of a cliff, but at least he wasn't standing on his toes. Mentally he was able to take small steps backwards until he had just enough distance between him and the cliff that was his metaphorical state of panic.

"How are you so calm?" Harry's voice broke and turned into a small sob before he could stop it. It felt like his entire world was crashing down around him and yet nothing felt real.

Tom didn't answer right away, just taking one deep breath at a time until he was sure Harry wouldn't break down. "I'm not. Right now I'm barely holding on." Tom admitted quietly. "I want to go and hide in a quiet corner for an eternity until I have control again, but if I do that then I can't protect you." Everything he ever did was for Harry after all.

"I have to stay calm and think things through in order to protect us both. I'll panic when we are safe." He tilted his head so that his forehead could rest on top of Harry's head. A small part of his mind registered the fact that Harry's hair was a lot more curly and messy now without the Malfoy's blood adoption.

"This is a lot of information for you boys to take in." Gothrack had returned with a tray of tea and finger food. "Unfortunately we still have much more to discuss." The goblin felt weary and it'd only been a couple hours since they'd first started.

But this was the reason Gothrack had been chosen to work with time travellers; he knew what needed to be done and would not cut corners the way other goblins would. Gothrack had the patience to explain things to time travelers when other goblins would just give the basics and then throw paperwork at them to make them go away.

They waited until Harry was calm once again and was able to sit on the sofa instead of in Tom's lap.

"We've covered most of the important events you have missed so we'll move onto your current affairs." Gothrack summoned the file and set it on the coffee table between them. "We were unsure when you two would return so we will need a couple days to find you suitable living accommodations."

"We're currently staying at the Leaky Cauldron."

Gothrack nodded and made a notation on one of the file pages. "Very good. You should be safe enough there for now. We would rather you both leave the country, but-"

"Dumbledore." Now that his nerves had settled, Harry found that he could feel things again. He felt nothing but rage and anger over the bastard that was at the core of all their problems.

"Exactly. You are a celebrity here Mister Potter. If you try to leave the country, Albus Dumbledore will find out. I would not be surprised if he already senses your presence."

Tom hissed and snarled. "What do you mean?" He demanded with a cold look.

"In the past we were unable to determine who it was that had been draining Mister Potter of his magic. After you both went missing we were able to put the final pieces together. Albus Dumbledore has a type of trace spell on Mister Potter's magic."

"The moment Harry uses any magic...He'll know."

"Exactly." Gothrack nodded at Tom's assessment. "Mister Potter's magic is very unique and because of his sensitivity he is always in a state of constant magic use. The good news," Gothrack smiled then. "is that Dumbledore can not use the trace spell to actually find Mister Potter. It just tells him that Mister Potter is in Britain. Your bond prevents the man from pinpointing your location."

"I want him gone." Harry suddenly snarled and it took all of his control not to let his magic lash out.

Being a goblin, Gothrack was used to dangerous displays of magic and violence. Goblins were a warrior race first and foremost and seeing someone so young calling for another's blood was like music to Gothrack's pointed ears.

"Do not worry, Mister Potter." If it were possible, Gothrack's teeth looked even sharper as he smiled at Harry. "We at Gringotts will do what we can to assist you in your vengeance against Albus Dumbledore."

Harry wasn't normally vindictive nor did he resort to violence as a solution, but in this case he would willingly plunge a sword deep into Dumbledore's heart if he could. He nodded at Gothrack and thanked him for whatever help the goblins could provide.

"Now then. Onto the next order of business." A small simple black box floated from the desk to Gothrack's hand. "Your benefactors planned for just about everything, including your arrival to this time." He opened the box and held it out to Tom. Inside was a simple silver ring. "This ring will disguise you. Only those that you want to see your true self will, but I caution you to not trust anyone right away."

"I understand." Tom took the offered ring and slipped it onto his left pointer finger. "You said Dumbledore was controlling people. I don't want my arrival getting back to him."

Gothrack nodded and then turned to Harry. "We have made an appointment with an eye specialist to fit you with glasses. Your physical appearance has changed enough that no one from the past should recognize you. Or make the connection that Hadrian Malfoy is really Harry Potter." He handed a note to Harry with the time and place written on it.

"With the blood adoption voided, Harry Potter can retake his true name. You though will need a new name Mister Gaunt."

A snort of laughter escaped Harry which had both Tom and Gothrack looking at him curiously. "Just thinking how ironic it is. I changed my name, now Tom gets to change his."

Tom rolled his eyes and shook his head. His only consolation about this was that Harry was calm again. "Well I can't take Riddle back. Gaunt would be too suspicious. Slytherin would garner too much attention." Those were the three names that had actual meaning for Tom.

"You could take up another of your ancestral names." Gothrack shuffled through his file for a moment before finding a rather yellowed sheet of parchment. "The Sayre family is all but extinct in Britain, but they have relatives in America. The Peverell family is also extinct, but it has ties to Gaunt and Potter."

"Really?" Harry blinked in surprise. "So...Tom and I are distantly related?"

Gothrack snickered a little at that. "All wizards are related. Too much inbreeding." He flicked his fingers as if to dismiss that revelation. "If you don't want to deal with possible inquiries from the American Sayre branch, you might want to go with Peverell. And," Gothrack rubbed his chin in thought. "the Peverell family was a well known light family. That could hide you from Dumbledore's immediate attention for awhile."

After a little more discussion, it was decided that Tom would change his name to Thomas Corvin Peverell. Gothrack had both boys retake the inheritance test, to update their records, and then made plans to forge documents for Tom.

According to his forged documents, Thomas Corvin Peverell was from a distant family branch in France and that he had attended Beauxbaton until recently. It would take some bribery, but the goblins in France would be more than willing to help if it meant messing with the wizarding world.

It helped that most of the magical world outside of Britain was rather disdainful of the British Isles. It wouldn't be too hard to plant false memories or convince people to 'remember' that a handsome, quiet, and hardworking Thomas Peverell had attended the french magic school.

Taking the Peverell name had an unintended effect though; Tom became Lord Peverell as well as Lord Slytherin and Lord Gaunt.

Gothrack explained that even though the paperwork was being forged, magic still recognized the claim that Tom was making by changing his name. Which meant even more vaults for Tom to have access to.

Tom would have to make time to return to Gringotts during the summer to look over all his vaults and accounts.

With the Peverell Lordship claimed, the next closest member of the family was named heir; which meant Harry.

Needless to say the two boys were unable to get out of Gringotts until early evening. Both were exhausted and at least Harry was feeling overwhelmed with everything they had just learned. Tom had been given a list of the names of his allies that the goblins believed were being controlled by Dumbledore as well as a list of the names they believed could be trusted.

They took dinner in their room in the inn and retired early for the night. They would have another busy day in the morning and Harry had an appointment with an eye specialist that they would need to get to.

At least they weren't completely alone. They had each other and that was all that mattered.

* * *

Harry didn't notice the one major flaw until they were getting ready the next morning. The eye specialist wasn't located in Diagon Alley. The specialist wasn't at St. Mungo's either. No, the person that the goblins had made an appointment with was located out in muggle London.

But he and Tom didn't have muggle clothes. All they had were their school uniforms and robes. They could leave the robes and just go in their pants and shirts, but...Harry was fairly sure that their clothes were very, VERY, old fashioned and would make them stick out.

Which resulted in them making a quick trip into the Alley buy a change of clothes. They would go and get a couple more outfits while in muggle London; it would be enough at least until they had a more permanent place to stay. Then they would get more wizarding robes.

"Why did they have to choose a specialist in muggle London?" Tom grumbled irritably as he and Harry finished changing back at the inn.

"Maybe because I'd be recognized otherwise?" Harry pointed out as he tucked in his shirt. "You read the same article I did. This scar," He lifted his bangs to remind Tom of lighting bolt shape there. "is too recognizable. The specialist is probably muggle."

As much as Tom hated to admit it, Harry was right. The scar that Tom so adored marked Harry in a way that made getting close to other magical people difficult and possibly dangerous. Until they knew who to trust they would have to avoid the magical world as much as possible.

Harry made sure to comb his bangs back over his scar, squinting into the mirror as he did so. As much as he hated the fact that he would have to wear glasses again, at least it would help to disguise him a bit more.

The last thing they needed was for Dumbledore to realize that Harry Potter was actually Hadrian Malfoy.

"Come on then." Tom grumbled as he took Harry's hand. They might as well get this over with if only so they could get their shopping needs taken care of afterwards. He hated having only two outfits after having gotten used to having a full wardrobe with the Malfoy's.

At first Muggle London didn't seem all that different to Tom as they left the Leaky Cauldron. It was still dirty, dingy, and dark. But when they stepped out from the side street, Tom felt himself freeze up in shock.

There was noise everywhere and instead of the bulky automobiles Tom had grown up seeing, there were shiny and sleek vehicles driving down perfectly paved roads. People crowded the sidewalks and it was all Tom could do not to get swept up in the hurried bustling of the crowd.

Harry wasn't having any easier of a time adjusting to the sudden influx of noise and people. He grabbed onto Tom's hand and tugged him back into the side street.

Honestly, Harry couldn't remember much from his childhood and he definitely didn't remember anything about London. Most of the time his relatives had kept him locked away in the house whenever they had to go into the city.

He was so used to Tom's time that seeing his own time was just as overwhelming for him as it was for Tom.

The two stood in the side street for several minutes before Tom straightened his shoulders and tugged at Harry's hand.

"Come on." His voice sounded strained and Tom's eyes were hard and focused. "Let's get this over with."

The directions the Goblins had given them were clear and concise so even though it would have been easy for Tom and Harry to get lost, they found the specialist without needing to stop to ask for directions.

Tom and Harry held hands the entire time they were navigating through London's streets. Tom's grip on Harry's hand was almost painfully tight, but the younger teen didn't say anything. The twinge of pain was almost a relief for Harry.

"Finally." Tom hissed as they found the fancy looking business front. There were a few displays in the windows and a quick glance had Tom raising a brow at the prices. The Goblins had definitely gone all out when selecting the eye specialist.

"Welcome to Guilliver's Eyeware." A sweet voice called out from just beyond a curtain at the back of the show room. "I'll be with you one moment. Feel free to look around."

The walls of the store were covered with different glasses. Each one a different color or shape. Tom had never needed glasses, but he was surprised at the wide variety.

"Sorry about that," A thin woman with short blond hair came out from the back room and smiled at the two teens. "Do you have an appointment?"

Harry handed over the slip of paper that the goblins had given him. He had no idea what he needed to do. There was a small sign on the counter saying something about accepting insurance and most of the frames were hundreds of pounds.

"Perfect! The doctor will see you whenever you're ready Mr. Potter." The woman smiled brightly. "Once your exam is done you can choose frames. Everything is done in house so your glasses should be ready in a few hours."

The exam went pretty quickly. Harry's eyes weren't too bad, but he would definitely need glasses for seeing long distances.

It took longer to pick out a pair of frames. Harry was all for just grabbing a pair that fit, but Tom insisted on seeing each pair on Harry and picking the ones that looked the best. In the end they settled on two pairs and a pair of sunglasses.

"Would you like contacts as well?" The receptionist asked as she fitted the glasses to Harry and messed with a weird measurement device to mark the fake lenses. "We have the newest brands available."

"No thank you." Harry shook his head after the woman had described how the contacts worked. He really wasn't fond of the idea of putting his fingers in his eyes. Glasses would work just fine.

"Alright." The woman took the glasses from Harry and set them into a tray next to her. "Come back in about three hours and we'll have your glasses ready for you."

"How much do we owe?" Tom asked as he eyed the woman carefully.

"Owe?" The woman tilted her head a little. "Everything has already been paid for. The gentleman that scheduled your visit gave payment details."

Of course the Goblins would take care of the cost. Tom had to fight hard not to sigh and roll his eyes. He wanted to be upset about this, about the Goblins taking care of their purchases and such, but he was too tired honestly to care too much.

"Right then." Tom took Harry's hand as the two of them stood up. "We'll be back in three hours then. Thank you."

They were out of the eyeglass shop and walking back down the streets of London within minutes. "Clothes shopping now?" Tom suggested as he eyed the crowds wearily.

"We could stick to the less busy shops." Harry suggested quietly. "They'll probably be more expensive, but…" He chewed on his lip and looked around. They both had plenty of money and Gringotts had given them a weird plastic card to use in muggle stores, but that didn't mean they were reckless with their money.

The Malfoy's had taught both boys how to balance their finances and how important it was to be responsible with their money.

And then Tom remembered something important about their money.

He was over 17 now and that meant he had full access to all his money rather than just the allowance that had been set up for them all those years ago. They could get just about anything they wanted without having to worry about limits.

"Come on." Tom smirked slowly at Harry as they wandered down the street. They had to stop once to ask for directions, but eventually they were able to find their way to the high end shopping district.

Being 17 also meant that Tom could use his magic freely without having to worry about the ridiculous underage trace so they wouldn't be restricted to only getting as much as they could carry.

It was interesting to note that when they walked into the first store, which sported gold gilding around the front door and rather nice looking mannequins in the windows, Tom and Harry were eyed with suspicion.

Tom's eyes narrowed at the blatant snubbing they received from the clerks that were behind a counter or wandering the clothing racks. At one point a gentleman in a very nice tailored suit came up to them while Tom pulled several nice button down shirts for him and Harry to try on.

"May I help you boys with something?" The man's lip almost curled into a sneer as he forced himself to smile tightly at them.

"Yes." Tom shoved the shirts at the man which forced him to grab hold of them or let the clothes fall to the floor. "My companion and I are in need of new wardrobes for the summer. We will need to be sized for fittings and any tailoring done immediately," With a small cold smirk Tom reached to grab a few more things. "If this establishment is capable of such."

The Malfoy's had taught him well on how to deal with idiots such as this man that was trying to talk down to them. Tom poured all of his upper crust upbringing into his posture and voice.

"At least 5 long sleeve shirts each, 7 trousers, several short sleeve shirts, dress shoes, casual shoes, belts, and under clothes. To start." Tom would not let anyone treat him less than what he was.

"No pastels." Harry had picked up on Tom's change in manner and had instantly fixed his posture so that he was standing proudly with his shoulders back and his head tilted up. His eyes never left the clothes as he spoke to the store clerk.

As much as Tom wanted to smirk at Harry for his obvious dislike of the softer color pallet, Tom kept his expression stern. "At least 2 formal outfits as well. Preferably in green."

And then Tom whipped out the plastic card that the goblins had given them.

The instant the clerk saw the card, the entire demeanor of the store changed. Suddenly the women that had been scowling from behind the counter were gracious and cooing at the choices that Tom and Harry made. The man that Tom had shoved the clothes at humbled and practically simpered.

The display was utterly disgusting to Tom, but he was more willing to put up with ass kissing from strangers then being treated like poorly.

Tom had always considered himself an easy shopper, he knew what looked good on him and he knew what he liked. Unfortunately fashion had changed in the 50 years that time had passed and Tom found that the things he normally liked were not to be found. He had to defer to the women that were picking out outfits for Harry and Tom to try on.

Thankfully Tom had a 'classic' handsomeness that made it so almost everything looked good on him. Harry on the other hand was a little harder to shop for. He had a more boyish charm that the women seemed to enjoy catering towards.

One shirt did catch Tom's eye though and he grabbed it and pushed it into Harry's hands to try on.

It was a fairly simple design, white with only a few embellishments. The collar was something both Tom and Harry were used to, the sleeves were long and loose but not billowing, and the shirt hung down past Harry's hips with the sides slashed cleanly. What really made Tom gravitate towards the shirt were the black lightning bolts that outlined the shoulders.

The shirt accentuated Harry's lithe body without making him seem too slim or bony. Tom could see Harry wearing the shirt tucked in and untucked if he wanted as the current fashion seemed to be. It was added to the definite pile.

Tom didn't even bother looking at the final total when they'd found everything that they had wanted in the store. The inhouse tailor had made the adjustments so quickly and cleanly that Tom would have almost suspected magic.

Unfortunately they hadn't found everything that they had wanted for their new wardrobes and the two of them were forced to continue to the next store.

Thankfully, probably because they already had bags that showed off just how much money they were willing to spend, the clerks at the next store were instantly catering to them.

By the time 3 hours had passed, Tom and Harry had enough clothes for a decent wardrobe each. Besides clothes, Tom had also added watches and various other accessories that he had been intrigued by while shopping.

A quickly cast lightweight charm on the bags allowed them to carry everything without worrying about their arms growing tired.

They got Harry his new glasses and made it back to the Leaky Cauldron with enough time to relax before dinner.

"Well...besides the ridiculous amount of automobiles and muggles, I don't think I'll have a problem adjusting to this _place._ " Tom commented as he and Harry went upstairs to their room in the inn to put their things away. "Really though I find myself a little bit impressed by the improvements that have come to pass."

As much as Tom disliked the muggle world, he had felt a begrudging respect to the advancements he had seen. Muggles had found ways to get around their lack of magic and some things, like the strange devices several people had been speaking into, seemed to be immensely useful.

Phones had existed in Tom's time, but not wireless and portable ones. It was like having a portable floo that didn't require a person to go down on their knees to talk to another person. He wondered if a magical version could be made.

"Can we eat out tonight?"

Harry's words caught Tom by surprise as he set their bags down on the bed to be sorted later. He took a closer look at Harry and found that the younger teen couldn't quite look him in the eye. In fact Harry's cheeks were a bit pink and he was shifting around a little.

Tom could make a hundred guesses as to why Harry was acting strangely, but it was easier to just peak in on Harry through their bond.

The younger teen's emotions were all over the place. He was embarrassed, nervous, sad, and even a little happy. None of that told Tom why Harry was feeling the way he was though.

"Harry...talk to me." Tom ordered, his voice soft but inflexible.

Harry rubbed at his left arm for a moment before sighing. "I just...I just want a moment to be normal again. Today was great. I was able to just forget about everything for a few hours and I...I don't want today to end."

For a moment, sorrow flashed in Harry's eyes and Tom felt his heart twist. He was good at compartmentalizing his emotions and thoughts, but Harry was more sensitive than him. Harry felt things more strongly and honestly Tom was amazed Harry hadn't broken down yet.

"Ok." Tom went to Harry and pulled him into a tight hug. "We'll go out for dinner. We passed by a lot of muggle places that smelled good. Do you want to try one of those?"

Instantly Harry's entire face lit up in a brilliant smile and he nodded quickly. He didn't even care that they would be returning to muggle London to eat, just as long as he and Tom were together and taking just a little more time to forget about the chaos that had enveloped their lives.

They were down the stairs, leaving the inn, and reentering muggle London soon after that. Tom made it a point to make their adventure back into London to find dinner as relaxed and casual as possible.

As the two teens left the tavern, they missed the look of surprise from one of the men that had just started to sit down at the bar. His eyes widened and his nostrils flared as he took in a deep breath. The man quickly abandoned the drink that had been set down in front of him and rushed out of the Leaky Cauldron to follow after the two boys.

* * *

"How about italian?" Tom suggested as he and Harry leisurely wandered through London looking at the different restaurants available to them. Both of them had turned down fish and chips, and the weird sandwich place with the big golden 'M' over it.

"Italian sounds good."

Currently they were standing outside of what looked to be a upscale Italian restaurant with a couple gentlemen taking keys for the cars to go and park them.

With a sharp grin, Tom took Harry's hand and led him inside where a disgruntled maitre d standing just behind a desk.

"Is there something I can help you with...gentlemen?" The man sniffed and he tilted his head a little to look at Tom and Harry over his nose.

Tom considered the man for a moment. He could see why the man was looking down on them, he and Harry didn't exactly look like the kind of people that would normally eat in a place like this,

"We would like a table for two, sir." Before the maitre d could shoo them away, Tom pulled out the golden plastic card and handed it over. "Preferably secluded."

The man clearly looked conflicted as he took the card from Tom. Like all the other people that had taken the card during the day, he seemed to recognize it as important, but he was frowning deeply.

"I apologize sir, but this is a black jacket restaurant." He seemed reluctant to hand the gold card back to Tom. "And we do require reservations."

Tom glanced past him to see that the men that were eating were wearing fancy jackets and ties while the women were in expensive looking dresses.

As much as Tom wanted to treat Harry to a nice dining experience, he could not fault the man for the rules. He and Harry weren't exactly dressed for an expensive dinner and it wasn't like they had a reservation.

If Tom hadn't been in such a decent mood he might have used magic to trick the maitre de into letting them eat. His finger did twitch and he was debating on doing just that when Harry spoke up next to him.

"Could you suggest another place for dinner?" Harry asked with his best smile, the one that always had Mrs. Malfoy eating out of the palm of his hand. "We're new to the area you see."

The maitre de sighed quietly in obvious relief and smiled at the two teens. "There is a place, Stephanos, just down the block that has a superb Lasagna." The man riffled through some papers under the desk for a moment and pulled out a small map. "Just take a right here and you'll see it."

"Thank you so much." Harry was all smiles as he took Tom's hand and the two left.

"We could have eaten there." Tom told Harry softly. "A small confundus and it wouldn't have been a problem."

Harry shook his head and smirked at Tom. "He seemed nice though. And he did help us to find another place to eat."

"You're too gentle Harry." Tom whispered, but he was still smiling fondly down at the younger teen at his side. "Fine. We'll go to this 'Stephanos' place."

The big smile that Harry gave Tom had him smiling a little in return.

"Hey," Harry was still smiling and holding hands with Tom, but his voice had an edge to it that had Tom stiffening up. "Don't look, but we're being followed." Harry just kept smiling and leading Tom down the sidewalk. "I didn't notice at first, but he's close enough now it's hard to miss his magic."

With as little movement as possible, Tom turned his head to glance back behind them. No one obvious was looking at them. The crowd was thick enough that anyone could hide easily without being noticed.

"His magic feels excited...but in a good way." Harry commented as they waited to cross the street to go down the road towards the new restaurant. "It kinda feels...familiar...but I can't place it."

Which meant it wasn't Dumbledore or anyone that Harry would have had constant contact with. That fact didn't relax Tom at all; they were being followed in muggle London and there wasn't much they could do.

"What do you want to do Tom?" Harry asked as he raised his voice so that he was talking at a normal level again. "Maybe head home after dinner? Or we could find someplace quiet to relax."

"How hungry are you?" Tom asked as he pulled Harry close with a protective arm slung across his shoulders. "We could get ice cream after."

"Mmm sounds good to me." There was an alley up ahead and Tom slowed their walking to make sure their follower would catch up. A nod from Harry had Tom ducking into the alley and pushing the smaller boy behind him.

Their stalker almost ran into the alley after them and Tom grabbed hold of the man's arm and slammed him into the wall.

"Who are you and why are you following us?" Tom demanded. He cast a nonverbal wandless binding spell to keep the man from getting away from the wall of the building. Tom's blue eyes swirled with red as he snarled in the man's face. "Answer truthfully or I'll make sure you never find us again."

The man was oddly calm and his hands had been frozen in a raised position and neither held a wand.

"Lupin." The man's voice was scratchy as if he had just gotten over a cold. "Remus Lupin. I followed you because...because I recognized Harry." His light brown, almost amber, eyes darted to Harry who was still partially behind Tom. "Harry, w-we all thought...we thought you were dead!"

There were tears in Lupin's eyes as he looked Harry over. His gaze lingered on Harry's messy black hair and his bright emerald green eyes.

Tom growled softly and slapped at Lupin's cheek. "Eyes here." He pointed at himself as he spoke. "What do you want with Harry?" His eyes had turned completely red at this point and he was staring at their stalker intensely.

"I just want to talk to Harry. I was a good friend with his parents years ago." There was a tremor there and pain in Lupin's eyes as he met Tom's red gaze. "I just want to talk."

Tom glared at Lupin. "Talk then."

Lupin swallowed and his calm composure broke a little. "Please, can we go someplace? Public is fine. Just...not here." It wasn't comfortable being physically restrained against a wall in an alley that smelled like refuse.

"Tom...I think we can trust him." Harry whispered. He tugged at Tom's shirt gently to try and get him to listen.

His mind worked fast as Tom went through all the scenarios that could happen if he released their stalker from the wall. If it came down to it Tom was sure he and Harry could protect themselves, but what they could do was limited if they stayed in muggle London.

On the other hand their stalker was limited as well. None of them wanted Auror's to come down on them, which would happen if they did any flashy magic around muggles. A lightweight spell was one thing, but battle magic couldn't be easily covered up.

"You are a stranger to us." Tom moved his hand so that he was gripping Lupin's neck tightly. "You could be trying to kidnap Harry. If you move in any way I find troubling, I will take you down." His hand tightened briefly before he released Lupin.

The moment he was no longer touching him, Lupin was released from the wall. "We are going to Stephanos for dinner. You may join us, but this will be your only warning."

"I understand. I just want to talk." Lupin insisted quickly. He kept his hands away from his pockets before nodding to himself. "Would you be more comfortable if I gave you my wand?" His words were strained, but it was obvious to Tom that the man was desperate enough to talk to Harry to give up his only defense.

Tom considered the offer before nodding. He held out his hand until Lupin pulled out his wand from a pocket in his muggle jacket and handed it over. Tom took the wand and placed it with his own wand in a pocket.

"You'll walk ahead of us." Tom nodded his head towards the opening of the alley and waited until Lupin was walking.

"Tom?"

Tom had waited until Lupin was a few feet ahead of them before retaking Harry's hand and leaving the alley.

"Yes Harry?"

"His magic is strange." Harry was tilting his head slightly and his green eyes distant as he stared at Lupin. "It feels like the forest at night. Wild almost, but constrained." He had never felt anything like it and Harry was curious to know more. It reminded him almost of the spirits that liked to be around him, but not quite.

Harry's observation had Tom's lips tightening into a thin line. He wasn't going to take any chances with Lupin; if the man did absolutely anything then Tom would get them out of there and away from Lupin instantly.

"If things go south Harry," Tom's voice was low so that only Harry could hear him. "Grab onto me. I'll apparate us back to Diagon."

There wasn't a verbal response from Harry, but Tom saw the younger teen nodding out of the corner of his eye.

In no time at all the three of them were seated in a quiet corner of the Italian restaurant. After the waiter had taken their drink orders, Tom subtly flicked his fingers to cast several privacy charms.

"You wanted to talk," Tom hissed out as he eyed Lupin closely. "So talk."

Remus cleared his throat a little before attempting to say something. "When you went missing Harry, everyone panicked." His brown eyes never left Harry, as if afraid the raven haired boy would suddenly vanish. "Dumbledore used every spell he could think of to find you. When everything failed…"

"Don't talk about him." Tom's eyes went red and it took all of his self control, and Harry grabbing his arm, to keep Tom from hitting Lupin with a painful curse.

The calm demeanor that Remus had kept up slipped and he looked at Tom and Harry in confusion.

"Talk about who?"

"Dumbledore." Harry didn't look away from Tom as he answered.

"You...you know who Dumbledore is?" Remus and the others had all been led to believe that Harry had been raised outside of the magical world and was ignorant of it.

Tom snorted and he sneered darkly at Lupin. "We know a great deal more than you think."

Harry rolled his eyes and turned his attention to Lupin, but he kept a hand on Tom's arm to keep him calm. "Even with privacy spells we really shouldn't talk too much about our lives out in the open."

"How do you know Harry?" Tom demanded. Since he and Harry couldn't talk about their lives, they might as well get as much info out of Lupin as they could.

"I was friends with his parents." For a moment Remus fished around in his pocket before slowly pulling out his wallet. "I was there when Harry was born." From his wallet, Remus pulled out a single creased picture.

When it was handed over, Harry took it and looked at the image in curiosity. Three adults were standing in the picture, a woman and two men, as well as a small baby bundled up in a fluffy white baby blanket. Harry looked up from the picture to look at Lupin and then back at the picture.

"That's me with your mother and father." Remus smiled sadly as the people in the picture smiled and passed the small baby back and forth between the three of them. "You were only a week old when that picture was taken. It was the last time I saw you before your parents took you into hiding. It was...it was the last time I saw them alive."

"If you were such good friends," Tom felt nothing as he looked at the picture. Sure he thought baby Harry looked adorable, but then again Harry always looked adorable, but other than that he had no real connection to the people in the photo. "Why didn't you take care of Harry after his parents died?"

"I wanted to!" Remus cried out only to stop talking when the waiter returned. Tom temporarily dropped the privacy charms so that they could get their drinks and give their food orders. "I wanted to, but Dumbledore believed Harry would be safer outside of the magical world."

From their bond Tom could feel that Harry was conflicted. The younger boy wanted to believe Lupin, he felt pain over the deaths of his parents who looked so happy in the photo, but most importantly Tom could feel how angry Harry was becoming.

"I wasn't." Harry's voice cracked and his hands shook. He had to set the fragile photo down so he would crumple it.

Lupin winced and he folded his hands up in his lap so he wouldn't reach out to touch Harry. "We understood that after you went missing-"

"I went missing because I was in danger!" It was Tom's turn to grab onto Harry to keep him from practically exploding. "My aunt and uncle hated me! They tortured me, starved me, beat me! Even when the police stepped in they still found ways to make my life a living hell."

The older man that sat across from Harry reeled back as if he had been slapped. "W-what-"

"If it wasn't for Tom, I would be dead."

Silence descended over the table and Tom had to pull Harry close to try and calm the younger teen's shaking.

"T-that's…" Lupin cleared his throat. "I want to believe you, but Dumbledore-"

"Is a horrible, manipulative, disgusting old man that has too much of a fixation on Harry." Tom felt Harry turn his head so that he was pressing his face into Tom's chest. "He is the one that put Harry with his relatives. If he had cared at all he would have checked in on Harry now and then, but he never did.

"Instead he left Harry with magic hating muggles and expected them to keep Harry alive. Instead they did everything in their power to try and break Harry." Tom's arms tightened around Harry and he took a moment to breath into Harry's soft black hair to calm himself down. "As soon as we had the chance, I got Harry out of there."

It was difficult for Remus to wrap his mind around everything he was hearing. He had trusted Dumbledore, trusted that the man had placed Harry in the safest place possible. He had trusted that the old headmaster knew what he was doing.

Was it really possible that Dumbledore had messed up so badly? Was it possible that Remus had misplaced his trust? A part of him didn't want to believe it, but...

Questions and connections that Remus had put to the back of his mind years ago began surfacing. He had never been told exactly why James and Lily had gone into hiding, just that the Dark Lord had been after them. When Sirius had killed Peter and had been accused of betraying James and Lily, Remus had been suspicious.

But Dumbledore had always told Remus that everything would work out; that everything would be alright.

And now Remus was learning that his cub, his pack's cub, the last piece of James and Lily, had been in danger because of Dumbledore.

A strange growling sound tickled at Harry's ears and he very slowly pulled away from Tom just enough to look around.

He gasped when his eyes landed on Lupin. The man's light brown eyes had turned amber and were almost glowing. His canines looked sharper as he snarled at the table and the man's finger nails almost looked like claws.

Lupin was the one growling and Harry could feel the man's magic spiraling almost like a tornado inside of him.

"I'll kill him." Remus growled out as he fought to keep his wolf contained. "I'll kill the lying bastard."

Very slowly, Tom's lips turned up in a dark smirk, his eyes a bright crimson red. He didn't need Harry to tell him about what was going on with Lupin's magic. No. Tom knew and he was rather pleased with the turn of events.

Remus Lupin was a werewolf and Tom knew that werewolves were almost insanely protective of their packs. Tom may not have trusted Lupin with Harry, but he was positive he could use the werewolf to further his goals.

* * *

Special thanks to: Louise to, Deb

A/N: Reminder that I do have a tumblr: Ethrildragon


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: Do not own

A/N: Sorry for being gone so long guys. Life happened and I ended up in rather deep depression. I couldn't even LOOK at my computer for awhile let alone write. But I am better and I am back!

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 30: A Birthday and Quidditch

It took most of dinner for Remus to calm down enough for Tom to get more info out of him. During that time Tom was able to ascertain that Lupin would be utterly loyal to Harry and, through him, loyal to Tom.

He was even pretty sure that when they told Lupin the entire story, the werewolf would attempt to go after Dumbledore himself.

The werewolf was definitely a useful pawn that Tom looked forward to using in his plans.

"Where," Remus was still feeling on edge, but he was able to keep his wolf in check by focusing on Harry. "Where have you been Harry? We looked everywhere for you. For years."

"France." Tom said curtly, relying on the story that they and the Goblins had worked out.

Remus frowned and shook his head. "We looked there. All countries with schools were checked-"

"For our safety it would be best if you stop prying into the past." Tom snapped as he dropped the privacy wards so they could pay for the meal once they were all done eating. "Suffice it to say Harry was well cared for and safe until recently. Because of Dumbledore we were forced to return to London."

The older man's mouth snapped shut and he cleared his throat to keep himself from asking for more info. The cold hard stare that Tom was giving him was enough to keep Remus' curiosity in check.

It was obvious to Remus that there were holes in the explanation he was given though. If the boys had been in France for so long, then why did Tom have such an obvious British accent? Remus knew Dumbledore had done a thorough search of France, so how had Harry been kept hidden?

"Now then," With dinner paid for, Tom took Harry's hand and led him out of the restaurant. "Let's go find some ice cream."

"Definitely!"

Tom threw a quick glance at Lupin and found the older man smiling fondly at Harry. "By my calculations, you were out of contact with the Potters for a little over a year before they died." Tom stated as they wandered down the streets. "Why is that?"

For a moment Lupin looked panicked and Tom found it rather amusing. "Is it because of your dark creature status?" He asked when the man hesitated a little too long on answering.

"W-what? I d-don't-"

"Spare me." Tom rolled his eyes at the man's attempt to deny his statements. "Your reaction at dinner, the feeling your magic gives off, and your rather worn attire," Tom glanced at the well worn muggle jacket that the man wore. "Tells me that you are a type of dark creature that is heavily regulated by the ministry. So you are either a half-breed, a vampire," Tom paused for a moment to smirk slowly at Lupin. "Or a werewolf."

"It's fine if you are." Harry piped up and frowned at Tom which only got Harry an eye roll in return. "Honestly. It's just an illness."

"An illness that could get people killed." Even though he had meant his words to sound serious, Tom honestly didn't care. Werewolves were just people that had to be caged up once a month. So long as the werewolf in question took precautions then they weren't terribly dangerous. There were worse creatures and people in the world.

The three wandered around for awhile until they came across a park where an ice cream vendor was selling cones of the frozen treats.

Harry was all smiles as he hurried over to the cart vendor and made an order for two cones, one strawberry and the other vanilla.

"Well? Are you going to order something?" Tom asked Lupin with a bored voice as he fished out muggle money to pay. He highly doubted the street vendor would be able to take the plastic card.

Remus was about to turn down the offer, but a sharp look from the blue eyed teenager stirred something in him. It felt like his wolf was trying to get distance between him and Tom so he could submit to the teen. It knew that Tom was a more powerful predator and it had Remus wondering just who the teen was.

He quickly made an order for a chocolate cone and was about to pull out what little muggle money he had when Tom paid for the three cones.

"Now then," Ice cream in one hand and Harry's hand clasped in the other, Tom led the way down the path to go deeper into the park. "Now that you have found Harry, what do you plan to do about it?"

"Protect him." Was Remus' immediate response.

"That is a given." Tom sighed sharply and glared at the older man. "But how do you plan on doing so? You were Dumbledore's man up until an hour ago so you cannot be fully trusted at this time."

"I will never betray Harry." Remus barely kept himself from yelling. "If that means giving a wizard's oath I will. I'll do everything in my power to protect Harry." But Remus knew he had no idea how to go about doing so. He didn't have a permanent residence, nor did he have a full time job, and his savings were minimal at best. Remus had no idea how he would be able to take care of Harry let alone protect him.

If Remus had to go and get help from his questionable sources...he would. He would do anything to protect his pack's cub.

For a long time Tom was silent as he contemplated the werewolf's resolve. He looked to Harry who was looking at him with a glimmer of trust in his emerald green eyes. Whatever Tom decided, Harry would agree too.

There was more to the situation than just protection and Harry's safety though. Remus Lupin was a connection to Harry's past that Tom could never be able give Harry. The werewolf would be able to tell Harry things about his parents that otherwise he would never know. Tom knew that Harry would do as he said, but he also knew Harry would have liked to get to know Lupin.

"Fine." Tom sighed through his nose and closed his eyes for a moment. "For Harry's sake you can stick around. But," His eyes flashed red and Remus felt his blood go cold. "If I think for one moment you will turn on us, I will not hesitate to remove you from this world."

Remus' inner wolf was baring its neck and Remus himself was nodding quickly. He had always considered himself an alpha werewolf, but something about Tom and his insane power had Remus submitting to him.

"Good." As soon as Remus nodded, Tom relaxed. "Harry and I are staying at the Leaky Cauldron until Gringotts can find a more permanent residence for us. Ask for Thomas Peverell."

Relief flooded Remus. He'd be able to get close to Harry after years of thinking his cub was dead. He'd be able to protect him the way he should have all those years ago.

Seeing Harry alive was more than Remus could have ever hoped for.

* * *

By the time they made it back to the Leaky Cauldron, Harry was dead on his feet. He was yawning every few seconds and Tom was partially carrying him.

"Would it be alright if I-"

"Yeah. Ask for me though." Tom cut Remus off before the man could even finish his sentence. "Hopefully the goblins will have a solution for us. If not I'll have to consider buying property."

Buying their own home would probably be the best option honestly. Tom would be able to put up his own protections as well as pay the goblins to take care of any wards that Tom couldn't cast himself.

Then again...It was possible that either he or Harry had inherited properties through their various lordships and inheritances. Tom would need to take a closer look at the lists and files that Gothrack had given them.

"I think we can trust Remus." Harry was mumbling once they were in their room again. He was struggling so much to get undressed and into his sleep clothes that Tom sighed fondly and helped him out.

"Perhaps." Even though Harry was nodding off, Tom himself was wide awake. "We'll discuss this more later. Get some sleep."

Harry nodded and yawned again. He didn't even notice that Tom had tucked him in and had kissed his forehead gently.

For a few minutes Tom sat on the bed next to Harry, running his fingers through the younger boy's hair. Once he was sure Harry was sound asleep, Tom went over to the desk where the paperwork from the bank sat.

Tom rolled his neck and shoulders before taking a seat at the desk. He frowned slightly as he opened the first folder; which happened to be an account history for the Slytherin vault. The vault had strict rules about how the gold within could be spent, but for the most part the majority of the vault was filled with precious artifacts and tomes.

The next vault was the Gaunt family vault which was, not surprisingly, empty. Tom suspected that the only reason it was still open was because it had a loose connection to the Slytherin vault.

The real surprise was the Peverell vault. Because there hadn't been an heir in generations, the vault had been frozen. There was quite a bit of gold, but there were also a few property deeds within the vault that Tom wanted to look at.

Almost all of the reports were similar in nature. He forwent reading about the school vaults that had been set up for him and Harry by their benefactors seeing as how he could remember exactly how much he had spent over the years and what was left.

In the end Tom found at least 7 property deeds listed in the files, and those were just the ones linked to his Lordships. Harry had 3 properties, but Tom figured anything linked to Harry would be watched by Dumbledore so they wouldn't be able to use them.

At the bottom of the pile of paperwork Tom found the letter from Orion that Gothrack had given them. He'd completely forgotten about the letter.

The letter was addressed to both Tom and Harry, but he had a feeling that it was really meant for just Harry. Curiosity ate at Tom though and he fingered the wax seal on the envelope that had been stamped with the Black coat of arms.

With a harsh sigh Tom set the letter aside.

Tom leaned back in his seat and carefully organized his thoughts. Now that he was of age he had inherited quite a bit of gold. Now that they were in Harry's true time the teenager would be able to properly inherit his own family vaults.

The amount of money was astounding. It made sense that the Goblins were willing to help them; if not for the 'friendship' between their benefactors and the Goblins, but because of the gold. Goblins were always more than willing to befriend wizards if enough gold was involved.

That knowledge didn't exactly help Tom to figure out what their next steps were.

They needed a permanent home, that was the first thing that needed to be taken care of. A permanent home was the best way to protect Harry.

Harry was still underage as well and that left the question about Harry's schooling. It wasn't like Harry could just waltz up to Hogwarts and resume his classes for his fourth year. Tom figured they could probably get some private tutors if necessary, but he knew Harry would want to return to Hogwarts.

Thinking about Hogwarts brought even more questions to Tom's mind. It was obvious that Harry was still the Heir of Hogwarts; why else had one of the guardians appeared when they'd arrived?

"Shit! Senestra!" Tom hissed quietly and angrily as he suddenly realized that the giant basilisk had been alone for over 50 years. Had she gone to sleep during that time? He knew he didn't technically have to worry about the basilisk, but just as he knew that instinctively he also knew Harry would feel immense guilt for having left all the guardians alone for so long.

Tom huffed and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. There was nothing he could do about it now. It wasn't like he could just march into Hogwarts himself...then again...could he?

He was the Heir of Slytherin and he technically owned a quarter of the school. He'd be able to slip past the wards without anyone noticing.

But that would mean being in the area around Hogwarts first.

A slow smile stretched across Tom's lips as his mind worked out the beginnings of a plan. None of the properties they had inherited were in Hogsmeade, but how hard could it be to purchase a house there?

Being in Hogsmeade would also be risky though. It would not only put them closer to Hogwarts, but also closer to Dumbledore.

What they needed to do was figure out what sorts of trackers and tracers Dumbledore had on Harry and get them removed.

Tom rubbed at his temples and grabbed some paper and a quill to make a list of things that needed to be done. He just hoped the goblins would be able to help them find solutions.

For another few hours Tom tried to come up with several plans. Each one had some sort of problem, but by the time he went to bed he felt like he was a little more in control of everything that was happening. He had a better idea as to how to protect Harry and that was all that mattered to him.

In the morning Tom had Harry open and read the letter from Orion. The letter had been written on Orion's death bed telling the two that he knew about their secret and that he had never given up hope on seeing Harry again. Orion told them in the letter that he'd kept journals over the years and that he'd placed them in the vault Abraxas had set up for the two of them. It had been his hope that he'd see Harry again, but if not he at least wanted his best friend to know about the things he had missed out on.

Harry was left smiling sadly at the letter that contained two pictures. One of Harry, Orion, Rupert, and Eileen at one of their Samhain parties and the other was of an older Orion with his wife and two young sons.

* * *

"So what you're telling me," Tom's face was an emotionless mask as he spoke. It'd been a few days since they'd met Lupin and they were back at the bank. "Is that the tracker on Harry was put on him via...a potion?"

"From what we can ascertain, yes." Gothrack told the two teens. They'd just gotten done with a thorough examination on Harry.

Until the tracker was removed from Harry, he couldn't be moved out of London. There was enough latent magic in and around Diagon Alley that it kept the tracker from being strong enough to allow Dumbledore to pinpoint Harry's location. At least that's what the Goblins theorized and they were more than willing to use every tool at their disposal to keep the young teen safe.

If the charm had been placed via a spell or a ritual then the Goblins could have removed it with a cleansing ritual of their own. But the use of a potion meant there could be adverse effects depending on the sort of ingredients that had been used.

"We have a very talented potion master on retainer. With a bit of Harry's blood he should be able to create an antidote that will negate the tracking potion in Harry's system.

"How is it still even in me?" Harry asked with a deep frown. He wasn't a genius at potions, not in the way that Tom was, but he knew that most potions did have a time limit after being used.

Gothrack frowned at Harry and he laced his fingers together against his desk. "We do not know. Thus the reason for calling in the potion master. We will not tell him from whom the blood is from, just that there is a tracker on the person the blood is from and that we need him to analyze the blood to create the antidote."

"We trust you Gothrack." Tom assured the goblin swiftly. "If you believe this is the only way, then we will agree."

"For further precautions," Gothrack relaxed ever so slightly when the teens didn't argue. "The potion master will only be allowed to examine the blood in the potion lab here at Gringotts."

Discussions changed from getting rid of the tracker on Harry to the small manor that was being built for them in Hogsmeade.

As it turned out a couple of the properties that Tom owned were just patches of land were the buildings had been torn down. They'd also found that Orion had left Harry and Tom some property in Hogsmeade that would be perfect for building a new home on.

It seemed that after Orion had learned the truth, he and Abraxas had worked together to come up with as many contingencies as possible to help their lost family.

So Tom had enlisted the goblins in building one manor on a larger piece of land in Ireland and a smaller manor in Hogsmeade. Both homes would cost a great deal, but after going over all his finances Tom was confident that all his plans could be paid for and they would still have plenty left over.

Harry had argued that they didn't need to build a home in Hogsmeade, that since he wouldn't be returning to Hogwarts there wasn't much of a point, but Tom wanted a house there as a backup. If they started building now then a house would be ready by mid august.

The designs for the manor in Ireland were still being worked on and Tom doubted it would even be ready to house them for at least a year.

Until then the goblins had found them a comfortable three bedroom apartment in Horizont Alley.

The goblins refused to explain to either Harry or Tom why the two teens needed three bedrooms when two would have been perfectly fine.

After another couple hours of discussion over the large manor that would be built in Ireland, Tom and Harry left the bank.

"So what should we do today?" Tom asked lightly as he and Harry wandered around the streets of Diagon Alley.

They had fully furnished their new apartment the day before and he and Harry were working their way through a long shopping list.

"I suppose we do need proper robes." Harry said with a sigh as he glanced over at Twilfitt and Tattings. "We'll need to go grocery shopping and stock up on potion supplies as well." Harry winced as he pulled out their long shopping list. "Really though...we need everything."

Harry was right and Tom knew it. Anything they had ever needed or wanted had always been provided by the Malfoy's and now the two teens were finding out just what it meant to be moved out and living on their own.

"We'll start with fittings and go from there." If nothing else he and Harry could get the rest of their shopping done while the clothes were being made.

It didn't take long for the seamster to get their sizes and for Tom to order the wardrobes. To make sure they wouldn't have to return to pick up their order, Tom gave their address so that the clothes could be delivered later. Once that was done he and Harry were out of Twilfitt and Tattings and wandering around the Alley.

It wasn't quite a date, but Harry did take Tom's hand and lace their fingers together at one point.

"Perhaps we should get an owl?" Tom suggested as he glanced over at the Owl Emporium. "Harry?" When no response was given, Tom turned his sights back to the smaller teen.

There was such a sad and melancholy look in Harry's eyes, and the teen wasn't even looking at Tom. With a frown Tom looked in the direction that Harry was staring in. His frown deepened as he spotted Quality Quidditch Supplies.

At first Tom couldn't see what it was that was making Harry sad. Was he thinking about Orion and Rupert? About all the quidditch games that he and his friends used to play during the holidays? But then Tom saw it.

In the window of the shop was a brightly colored poster that practically screamed information about the upcoming Quidditch World Cup.

"Oh…" The one world left Tom in a woosh. Of course that was why Harry was upset; the Malfoy's had always made it a point to take their family to the World Cup every 4 years. They hadn't missed a single game since the Malfoy's had adopted both Tom and Harry.

"Do you think I could get a few Quidditch books?" Harry asked softly. "Just to...you know...find out about all the games we missed?"

Tom wasn't nearly as enthralled with the ridiculously dangerous game as Harry was, but it made Harry happy and that was enough for Tom.

"Of course."

A few books wouldn't be enough for Harry though and Tom knew that. A book couldn't give Harry the memories of sitting in the stands along with their family and cheering on their favored team. A few books couldn't give Harry the thrill of flight during a game with his friends.

"We'll go by Flourish and Blotts last, alright?"

"Ok."

Despite the fact that Harry was smiling up at Tom, and blocking as much sadness from their bond as he could, Tom knew his young companion was still aching.

Losing their family had hit Harry a lot harder than it had Tom. For the last few days though Harry had been more in shock than anything. Now though, Tom could tell Harry was coming out of his emotional shock. It wouldn't be long before Harry had that melt down that Tom had expected days ago.

"Do you-" Tom cleared his throat and braced himself for the suggestion he was about to make. "Do you maybe want Lupin to come by for a visit?"

They'd seen the werewolf only once more since having met him in muggle London. He'd left notes at the Leaky Cauldron for them afterwards, but Tom knew the man was trying to give them space even though Tom knew the man wanted to desperately get closer to Harry.

"Can he?" Harry asked with wide green eyes. He could feel through their bond that Tom still didn't trust Remus, but...but there was just something about the man that Harry found comforting. The man kind of reminded him of Sir Leighleas.

Tom sighed through his nose and nodded. "We'll go get an owl and then send him a note. Sound like a plan?"

Harry nodded quickly and smiled brightly.

Unlike Tom, Harry was a social person. The younger teen may hate being the center of attention, but he always thrived when he was around people. Tom knew if he asked, Harry would avoid social situations, but that sort of control wasn't healthy for a relationship. So Tom put up with the fact that Harry needed more companions than just himself.

It took some time, but after a heated debate on which own to get once they were at the Owl emporium, Tom and Harry settled on a grey Eagle owl that watched them with an eerily intelligent gaze.

Harry had been drawn to a lovely snowy owl, but Tom had pointed out that the owl was older than would have been good for a post owl. Owls that were older when first bought for post tended to be more wild and less likely to listen.

So they had settled on a young eagle owl that seemed to listen to both Tom and Harry.

Even though they still errands to run, Harry and Tom returned to their flat to pen a quick note to Lupin with their address. The young eagle owl, which Harry insisted on calling Nostradamus for some unknown reason to Tom, took the short letter and flew off.

With that done Harry and Tom returned to Diagon Alley to continue their shopping.

Harry had been right about them needing practically everything. Their flat was furnished, but the cupboards were bare and they didn't even have the most basic equipment to make potions.

The two went from one shop to another, buying what they needed from each shop. Whatever they couldn't easily carry themselves, they had delivered to their flat.

The two of them were so busy with replacing everything they had lost to the past that they completely missed lunch. It wasn't until Harry's stomach started protesting for food while they were looking at books that Tom realized the time.

"Let's get some groceries and then head back to the flat. Lupin will arrive shortly before dinner." At least that's the time Tom had told him to arrive.

He wanted to be able to trust the werewolf, really Tom did, but his Slytherin nature kept him wary. So he wanted to be home well before Lupin arrived so that he could make sure the precautionary wards were at full strength. Just incase Lupin really couldn't be trusted.

Harry was a little sad to be leaving Obscurus Books, but he knew Tom was right. Dinner needed to be made after all!

After a quick trip down to Carkitt Market to get the necessary food stuffs, the two teens were back in their flat. Tom busied himself with pulling out their shrunken purchases while Harry took the groceries over to the kitchen to put.

"Do you think Remus likes stew?" Harry asked as he grabbed the one pot that had come with the flat.

"I'm sure he'll enjoy just about anything." Honestly Tom was pretty sure the werewolf wouldn't complain even if they gave him simple sandwiches. He sneered a little at his own memories of going hungry just because he was different. If it weren't for Harry and the two of them testing the limits of their magic early on...Tom was sure that hunger and pain he had felt would have been immensely worse.

Tom was so lost in his dark thoughts that he didn't even hear when Harry stopped moving around in the kitchen. He was only freed from his thoughts when delicate arms wrapped around his waist and a cheek was pressed against his shoulder blades.

"What has you so upset?" Harry whispered gently.

Of course Harry had felt the turn in Tom's emotions. Their bond was so strong that Tom had to actively block his emotions from the bond to protect Harry. He couldn't believe he'd allowed himself to slip and allow his emotions through to his precious Harry.

"Just...old memories." Tom sighed deeply and calmed himself down enough to pull his emotions back.

With a sigh of his own, Harry let go of Tom. "I wish you wouldn't do that." He mumbled as he returned to the kitchen to get to chopping the vegetables.

Tom frowned and followed Harry. "Do what?"

The younger teen didn't even bother to look at Tom as he slowly and methodically chopped first the carrots and then the potatoes. "Block me out like that. It worries me when I can't feel all of you." Harry frowned as he scooped up the carrots and potatoes and dropped them into the heating pot of water. "I know why you do it, you don't want to worry me, but how can I help you if I don't know what's going on?"

Tom watched as Harry put his hands on his hips, the knife in his right hand standing out at an angle. The frown on Harry's lips was adorable and Tom could feel his own lips twitching into a small smile.

"I'm fine Harry. As long as you're with me I will always be just fine."

The assurance that Tom was alright only made Harry huff in annoyance. He hated how Tom always took on all the burdens, always thinking that he had to take care of things alone. At least back in their own time Tom had had his followers to help so Harry hadn't been as worried then. But things were different now; Tom only had Harry to rely on.

"Just...just promise me you'll talk to me if you need help." Harry whispered as he turned away from Tom with a jerk of his shoulders. He grabbed the onions and peeled the outer skin off of them slowly. "You're not alone here." His last words were even softer and his head was downcast making his wild bangs fall to cover his eyes.

Tom sucked in a breath and he winced as he realized the mistake he had made. "Harry…" He reached out and took the onion out of the younger teens hands and then took his shoulders to turn him around to face him. "I know I have you. I swear I will talk to you and...and go to you for help if I need it."

As loathe as he was to ever ask for help, Tom knew if he ever did need it then he would have Harry there. He trusted Harry with his heart and life and knew the younger teen would always be there to watch his back.

A bright smile lit up Harry's face and Tom was suddenly lost in those emerald green eyes. "Thank you Tom." The tension that Tom had felt in Harry's shoulders disappeared and suddenly Tom found himself engulfed in a tight hug.

The hug ended quickly and Harry returned to preparing their dinner. He looked happier though which made Tom feel lighter and more relaxed.

Seeing that Harry was in a better mood, Tom returned to their purchases. He was determined to put everything away well before the time Lupin was supposed to arrive.

With the use of magic it didn't take long for Tom to put everything away. He was able to finish early enough that by the time Lupin arrived Tom had been able to finish several chapters of the history book he'd purchased in order to catch up with the events that had passed since they had been thrust into the future.

"Hi Remus!" Harry was the first to the door when the knock sounded. Tom wasn't too worried, after all the wards were goblin made so even if the werewolf did try to do something he wouldn't succeed.

"Hello Harry." Lupin looked exhausted, but he was smiling warmly at the young teen as Harry shepherded him into the living room of the flat. "Something smells good." His amber eyes glanced towards the kitchen as he sniffed the air appreciatively.

Harry flushed a little. "I'm making stew, I hope that's alright." He shyly thrust his hands behind his back to keep from fidgeting with his shirt.

Tom couldn't help but chuckle at the shy display. Even after years of living with the Malfoy's, they hadn't quite been able to get Harry to grow out of his occasional shyness.

"More than alright."

"Why don't you sit down Mr. Lupin, while Harry finishes with dinner preparations." Tom said smoothly as he placed a simple slip of parchment into the book he was reading to mark his place.

Remus eyed Tom a tentatively before nodding and taking the seat across from Tom. The two were silent for some time, only the sounds from the kitchen breaking the silence in the living room.

"I'll be blunt, Mr. Lupin," Tom started to say after observing the tired man across from him. "I do not trust you. You are a stranger in a strange place that has claims to the one person I care about most. If it weren't for the fact that you can give Harry things that I cannot, I would never allow you to be as close to us as you are."

The teen was definitely blunt, but at least he was being polite and Remus really appreciated that fact. Most people would treat him like garbage the moment they realized what he was.

"I understand your caution." Really, Remus could. Here he was trying to stake a claim in Harry's life when the two teens had only just arrived in London. Add to the fact that he was a dark creature, and...well trust was not something Remus was expecting. "Trusting a werewolf-"

"It has nothing to do with your creature status." Tom waved a hand sharply to stop the man from talking. "I do not trust you simply because I do not know you. I barely trusted my...friends...in school. Only Harry and my family have my full trust." And the Malfoy's hadn't been able to earn his trust for some time after they'd adopted him. He'd been wary of them for years and had only broken down because they had cared deeply for Harry.

Tom leaned forward in his seat and cupped his hands under his chin, his elbows resting on his knees. "I need to know that you will never betray Harry's trust. He has a soft heart and forgiving nature. He has been hurt too many times in his life and I will do everything in my power to keep him from feeling the pain of betrayal."

Remus was nodding even before Tom had finished speaking. "I swear, on my magic, that Harry has my complete loyalty. I would never, never, do anything to harm him and that I will do everything in my power to protect him!" There was a slight flash of light near Remus' heart making his words into an official magical vow.

Blinking in surprise, Tom leaned back and away from the older man. He had definitely not expected Lupin to swear on his magic.

"With that said, there are a few things about Dumbledore that you need to know." Remus took a deep breath. "I won't be able to tell you some things, a magical oath keeps me from revealing secrets." Still, if Remus worded what he told Tom correctly, then there were quite a few things that he could pass along.

"Dumbledore is the leader of the Order of the Phoenix, which is a Light organization dedicated to the defeat of the Dark Lord and the protection of those he targets." That was common knowledge that Tom and Harry could find anywhere, but it was smart to start off with the basic information. "He has access to certain tools and artifacts, not completely his own, that track the use of certain types of magic."

Tom was smart enough to read between the lines. "Dark Magic." He got a nod in confirmation.

"He also has artifacts that were...loaned to him for study." Remus said slowly. His eyes darted to the kitchen were they could hear Harry working.

With a growl Tom turned his head completely in the direction Lupin was looking. He had to take a deep breath through his nose to keep from letting his stronger emotions into the bond. "I'm guessing he took more than just artifacts that belong to Harry."

"I wouldn't know about that, but you could ask whoever manages Harry's vaults. But I wouldn't be surprised after everything you've already told me about Dumbledore."

Tom knew Dumbledore very well, and he knew if the man could get his fingers into Harry's money then he probably had. That line of thinking was why Tom had decided not to use any of Harry's properties when searching for a suitable home for them.

"This organization. What else can you tell me about it?"

Remus cleared his throat and frowned. "Harry's parents were members during the first war as well as myself and a few of our friends." Again the information was pretty common knowledge so Remus didn't have to skirt around the details. "I can't reveal current members, other than myself, but seeing as how it's a very Light based organization there are quite a few Light oriented families involved."

Tom nodded thoughtfully. It wouldn't be too hard for him to figure out who were members if he were able to met them. Vigilante groups, like this Order probably was, tended to attract a very particular type of personality.

Gryffindors mostly.

"Like most organizations though, I suspect there is at least one person that would be the opposite of the typical member." Tom mused out loud. "Probably someone that acts as a spy for this order."

"Spies are typical for wars."

Tom smirked at Lupin's very careful wording. Yes, the Order had a spy and if Tom could get to this spy he might be able to talk him into spying for himself. After all, 'Voldemort' was nothing but a fake masquerading around as Tom. The Spy's job was literally pointless.

"Dumbledore is obsessed with finding Harry. He believes the Dark Lord will return and that there is evidence that Harry will play an important role in the next war." Remus was gritting his teeth as he spoke. He was getting a little too close to the truth that was protected by the oath.

"Evidence…" Tom leaned back in his seat and rubbed at his chin in thought, crossing one leg over his other knee to get comfortable.

There were only so many types of 'evidence' that could point to Harry being important. His part in the 'defeat' of Voldemort as a baby could be evidence, but then again Voldemort wasn't real. They had no idea what really happened that night to Harry and his parents.

What would push Dumbledore into making his puppet Dark Lord attack an innocent baby with the intent to kill? Was it possible he knew then who Harry really was? But if that were true then he would have found a way to kill Harry instead of leaving him with Harry's muggle relatives.

The man was obsessed with power. Perhaps Harry had had an enormous amount of power even as a baby and that was why Dumbledore had orchestrated the attack. It was possible and it would explain why Dumbledore was so desperate to find Harry now.

Perhaps...a prophecy?

Tom scoffed, but it was something to consider. Harry himself had spoken a prophecy caused by intense magic. Sir Leighleas was a seer and could see snippets of the future. There were always those that put way too much stock into prophecies.

If all of this chaos was because of a prophecy then that meant he and Harry would need to go the ministry and the hall of prophecies to find out.

"What about-"

"Dinner's ready!" Harry's happy voice rang out as he carried the pot of stew to the dining table. He turned around and hurried back into the kitchen to grab the salad and the rolls they had bought earlier. "I hope you two are hungry."

"We'll finish this conversation later." Tom mumbled before smiling and standing up. "It smells amazing Harry. You haven't lost your touch."

Harry flushed and rubbed at the back of his head sheepishly. He hadn't actually cooked a full meal since last summer. Mrs. Malfoy only ever let him cook when he insisted strongly, otherwise the elves took care of meals. She was more willing to let him bake treats then to cook full meals.

Dinner was filled with Remus telling stories of Harry's parents and their time at Hogwarts. He told them about how their group, specifically Harry's father and one of their friends, would cause mischief and play pranks regularly.

Tom noticed quickly that Remus left the name of one of his friends out, even though he had to mention the friend a few times during his stories.

The mood was considerably light by dessert time and Remus was rather pleased and surprised to find that Harry and Tom had purchased a chocolate cake for the meal.

"Will you be alright tomorrow?" Harry asked once everyone had finished with the cake. His eyes were fixed on Remus with worry.

Tom knew exactly why Harry was asking. The full moon would be tomorrow and Harry being Harry, he was concerned for his new friend.

The younger teens concern had Remus smiling gently and sadly. "I'll be fine. I have a place I go to that I am able to lock myself in."

Harry frowned at Remus' reply, but he nodded slowly. "I wish there was something that could be done to help werewolves!" He said with a huff as he stood up to clear the table. "Lycanthropy is an illness people contract. There's a cure for dragon pox so why not lycanthropy?" He ranted as he started dishing the leftover stew into a glass container for Remus to take home to eat tomorrow.

"Well, there is the wolfsbane potion, but it's not really a cure." Remus blinked in surprise when he was handed a container of enough stew for several meals. "It allows werewolves to keep their human mind during the full moon, but it's extremely expensive and difficult to make."

The fact that there was such a potion though had Tom's interest. "Has no one been working on a better version?"

Remus shook his head sadly. "At least no one that admits to working on it. Damocles, the man that invented the potion, took decades to get the potion to even do anything useful." He put an unbreakable spell on the stew and then shrunk it down to slip the food into his pocket. "If the potion is brewed even a tiny bit incorrectly, it turns into a poison."

"Poison?!" Harry paled and sucked in a quick breath of surprise.

"Well it does utilize aconite...but the benefits greatly outweigh the risks in my opinion." He had never been able to try the potion, very few werewolves were able to afford it, but he'd heard nothing but good things from the testers at St. Mungos.

"Isn't there anything else that can be done?" Harry hated the idea of someone as nice as Remus risking his life by drinking poison in the attempt to control something that was only dangerous one night out of a month.

Remus paused and licked his lips before nodding slowly. "Your father and our friends learned how to become animagi...Werewolves aren't really concerned with other animals unless the werewolf is starving. By the time they learned how to be animagi my wolf had claimed them as pack so it never felt the urge to hunt them."

"Interesting." Tom smirked ever so slightly as he considered what Remus had told them. "Did they ever approach you during the full moon as humans instead of animagi?"

Blood drained from Remus' face and he shook his head hard. "Never! They wanted to try, but I refused to let them risk it."

"Hmph." Tom shook his head and tapped the table in irritation. There wasn't enough known about werewolves and if there was one thing he hated it was not being able to know all the facts. Now that Lupin was in Harry's life he wanted to learn everything there was about werewolves in order to protect all of them.

"Well at least it's something." Harry smiled warmly. "Here's the rest of the cake." He handed another container to Remus with at least half of the cake. "When can you come for dinner again?"

Just the fact that Harry wanted Remus to return had his heart warming in his chest. The young teen was so much like his mother. "In a few days. I'll need all of the day after tomorrow to recover."

With a sigh Remus stood up and pocketed the chocolate cake once he was done shrinking it down. "Thank you for having me for dinner. It was very delicious Harry." He smiled when Harry just beamed happy at him. "I better head home for the night.."

Harry escorted Remus to the door only for the man to freeze as he suddenly remembered something.

"Harry…"

The hesitant tone of Lupin's voice had Tom on alert and he stood up.

"What's wrong Remus?" Harry asked with a tilt of his head.

"I don't exactly know how Dumbledore found out that you're in the UK again, but he's going to send you a letter of admittance to Hogwarts." Remus cleared his throat and looked over at Tom seriously. "He doesn't know where you are and I know enough about wards to know you have strong goblin ones up. Your address is protected, but you might want to talk to the goblins about diverting your mail."

Tom nodded in thanks. Other than Lupin they didn't really have anyone to send or receive letters from so they hadn't taken that into consideration.

"Wait...so I can go to Hogwarts?" Harry felt conflicted. On one hand he was the Heir of Hogwarts, chosen by the magic of the school, and he could feel that connection even as far away as he was from the school. He wanted to return because that was where he belonged. On the other hand Dumbledore would be there…

"It's something to take into consideration." Tom by that point had gotten up from the table and had moved to stand next to Harry. "Thank you for telling us Mr. Lupin." Tom would go to Gringotts in the morning to take care of the mail situation.

"See you in a few days Remus."

Before either Tom or Remus could say or do anything else, Harry moved forward to give Remus a quick hug. The comforting embrace was over almost as quick as it happened and Remus was left feeling a little out of it.

"See you." In an almost daze, Remus turned and left the flat, heading out to the alley where he could go to the closest apparition point.

Tom actually chuckled softly once the door was closed and the locking wards were back in place. "You really like him, don't you?" He smiled fondly as Harry nodded quickly.

Now that he had a magical vow from the werewolf that he would protect Harry, Tom wasn't as concerned about letting the man near his Harry. He would still keep an eye on Lupin, but at least he wouldn't have to worry about the man attacking Harry suddenly.

And now that Lupin knew about Dumbledore, even if Lupin was spelled to capture Harry the magical vow wouldn't let him.

"Do you think he would like to go to the World cup with us?" Tom asked slowly. He hated the idea of sharing Harry, especially when going to something that would, in a way, be personal to them, but if Harry wanted the older man there then Tom would make it happen.

Harry had to think about the offer for a few minutes. "I would be nice, but…" he smiled warmly at Tom and took his hand all the while blushing. "I was hoping it would be just you and me."

Tom's heart rate picked up and he felt himself nodding. "I'm sure you could think of something else you could invite Mr. Lupin to."

"Thank you Tom!" Harry launched himself at the older teen and wrapped his arms around him. He leaned up on his toes and pressed his lips against his boyfriend's. The kiss lasted only a few moments before Harry was pulling back and practically skipping to his room. "I'll shower first ok?"

"Right." Tom was having a hard time keeping his cheeks from flushing and his feet from following after the little minx that had captured his heart so thoroughly.

Never was Tom so grateful for how right Abraxas had been.

* * *

In the time after that dinner with Remus and the Quidditch World Cup, Tom returned to Gringotts and set up a mail diverting spell. Anything address to himself or Harry would be diverted to a private box in the bank where it would be checked for spells of all sorts. Once the mail was checked, Gringotts would forwarded it to their flat. The only person exempt from the diverting spell was Remus.

Tom was also able to purchase the Quidditch tickets through Gringotts. He had the whole event planned out and wanted to make sure Harry had the best time ever. If only so he wouldn't be depressed or distracted by thoughts of missing the Malfoy's.

Thanks to a not so little amount of money, Tom was also able to purchase a multi use portkey through the bank that would allow them to return to their flat whenever the game was put on hold. Just incase the game ran longer than a day. They'd be able to pick up the portkey at the bank the morning of the game.

Tom was not one to camp out in a filthy field all for the sake of a sports event. They'd done the whole camping out thing once with the Malfoy's, at the insistence of Harry, but after that their adoptive parents had adamantly put their feet down.

Just as Remus had warned them, on Harry's 14th birthday he received a letter of admittance to Hogwarts. It'd been diverted to the goblins, who had discovered several tracking spells, compulsion spells, and other darker spells meant to attach to Harry and his magic.

The goblins removed all the magic attached to the letter as per the service that Tom and Harry were paying for.

Even though Harry wanted to discuss his education, both Tom and Remus insisted on putting off the talk until the next day so Harry could enjoy his birthday.

Tom had gone through the vaults left to the two of them and had found a few things that had belonged to their adoptive family, as well as several presents that their family had left for Harry and Tom.

It was a nice day too. Both Tom and Remus went out of their ways to make Harry happy. Remus had scoured his own collection of photos and had contacted a few friends in order to get as many pictures of Harry's parents as he could. He was able to fill a single photo album with the photos and when Harry unwrapped it he'd started crying.

It'd been emotional day, but one that Harry knew he would never forget.

A few days later the three of them sat down to discuss Harry's education. By then the Hogsmeade house was almost done; the goblins just had to put up the excess amount of wards Tom had paid for and it'd take at least a week to finish.

It was a long argument, both for and against, but in the end they decided that it would be best for Harry to attend Hogwarts. With Tom so close they were sure they'd be able to get in in and out of Hogwarts if Harry needed him. And since Harry was still the Heir of Hogwarts, the magic of the castle would be able to protect him; even with Dumbledore there.

They would move in after the World Cup.

"Are we going to need to bring anything besides our robes and money pouches?" Harry asked the morning of the World Cup. He had suggested they pack a lunch, but Tom had assured him that there would be food available there.

"Everything that we would could possibly need we can get there." Tom was chuckling softly at Harry's antics. The younger boy was rushing around their flat grabbing things that he thought that they might need only to have Tom tell him to put it back.

Harry huffed and planted his fists against his hips. "We can't just spend our money willy nilly like that Tom! What would mother and father say?"

Tom rolled his eyes and shook his head. "We have enough money to live on until the end of time. Considering how much we could spend, I'd say we've been pretty sparse in our spending."

The older teen was right and Harry knew it. They could be living in a large mansion or in a more expensive flat. They could have bought only top quality equipment, furniture, ingredients, and food. Although their clothes were of good quality, they weren't excessively overpriced.

Compared to their lives with the Malfoy's, Tom and Harry were living rather simply.

"Fine. You win." Harry's arms flopped against his sides and his shoulders sagged in defeat. "If we need anything, we'll buy it there."

Tom smiled victoriously and then held out a hand for Harry to take. "Our portkey is at Gringotts. I told them we'd be there in the morning to pick it up."

Their hands joined together and Harry entwined their fingers together without even thinking about it.

"When will it activate? Do we have time for breakfast at the cafe?" Harry had grown rather fond of their cherry tarts and honey tea.

"We can grab our breakfast and eat it at the World Cup." Tom assured his companion as they left their flat. The wards locking the apartment so that no one else could get in until they were back flared back up locking the place down. "You know how you get if you eat before portkeying."

"I know…" Harry groaned. He always got so nauseous if he ate before flooing, using a portkey, or apparating. It was ridiculous how sensitive his stomach was to magical travel!

All the way to the cafe, Tom teased Harry relentlessly. He kept on poking at his shorter companion until they made it to Gringotts.

Gothrack was the one to meet them in the foyer of the bank. "The portkey is multi use, as requested, and you can activate it whenever you wish." He explained as he handed over the acorn that was attached to a necklace chain. "Tap three times and say 'lucas'. It will take you to a designated portkey arrival spot." Tom took the acorn and slipped the chain over his head. "The portkey will bring you back here on the return. Do not worry about arriving after hours; we have guards who will escort you out if you arrive late."

"Thank you Gothrack!" Harry was almost buzzing with how excited he was. If not for Tom holding his hand Harry might have actually been bouncing.

"Hopefully this will not be a drawn out match." Tom let out a long suffering sigh and groaned a little when Harry glared at him.

"Long matches are the best! The teams really start getting into more and more difficult maneuvers the longer a match is drawn out."

Again Tom groaned, but there was a twitch to his lips as he tried to fight downa smirk as Harry continued to babble about what the best length of time for a match would be.

"Enjoy the games young Lords." Gothrack snickered before turning on his heel to march back to his office.

"Harry-"

"-three month long match! I can't believe we missed it, but the book said-"

"Harry…"

"And they just kept on bringing alternates out! I mean seriously. At that point the snitch is probably busted or something. They should have switched it out."

It was obvious the younger teen was not going to stop talking about...whatever he was talking about, so Tom just wrapped an arm tightly around Harry's shoulders before tapping the acorn around his neck three times and whispering the keyword.

The pull of the portkey caused Harry to gasp in shock and his words cut off mid sentence. Tom smirked then as he tightened his hold on Harry to make sure he wouldn't lose him in transit.

His grip slackened though when the portkey finally dropped them off at their destination point, making Harry fall to the ground with a loud 'oof'. Tom, being the graceful bastard that he was, lightly touched down next to Harry with a smug smile.

"You did that on purpose!" Harry cried out as he sat up gingerly.

"Did what Harry?" Tom asked innocently as he held out a hand to help Harry up."

"Dropped me." Even though Harry tried to sound sour about it, he couldn't quite get the right tone of voice nor could he keep himself from pouting.

Tom chuckled and his eyes glimmered a little as he pulled Harry to his feet. "I apologize. I did try to warn you, but you were not listening."

Despite Tom's words, Harry still grumbled about the indignity of being dropped on one's behind. He refused to even look at Tom once he was on his feet once again, instead focusing his pout on the ground.

"I am sorry for dropping you Harry." Tom said a bit softer. "Forgive me?" Harry had let go of his hand once he was standing, so Tom held it out as a peace offering.

It was obvious that Harry was struggling. He wanted to forgive Tom, but then again Harry wanted to be mad at his boyfriend for dropping him! In the end Harry huffed and took the offered hand. "Don't drop me next time." He warned Tom with a stern glare.

"I swear I will never drop you ever again." Tom assured Harry with a soft chuckle. "Now come. I thought you would want to explore a little before the match begins."

They had several hours before the opening ceremony for the match, which meant Tom being dragged around by Harry as the younger teen excitedly looked at anything and everything.

"We should probably get a couple pairs of omnioculars so-" Harry looked over his shoulder to look at Tom, who was following him at a more docile pace. With his focus not in front of him, Harry suddenly collided with the back of someone taller.

"I am so sorry!" Harry blurted out when he realized his blunder. Luckily Tom had been there to catch him so Harry didn't end up on the ground.

"Watch where you're going kid."

The person he'd run into was a gangly looking redhead with rather unimpressive blue eyes. He had a sandwich in one hand and an Irish flag flat in the other. There was a smear of mustard across his upper lip as well that had Tom wrinkling his nose over.

"I'm sorry." Harry repeated once he was upright again. He could feel Tom's hands still on his shoulders.

"If you didn't want to be bumped into," Tom purred coldly "You shouldn't be standing in the middle of the walkway. But then again, you probably assumed people would be able to see you what with your red hair." He smiled charmingly as he spoke, as if he wasn't trying to insult the younger teen.

"Why you-" The red haired teen tried to sneer, but really the mustard smear on his lip just ruined any sort of intimidation he might have had.

"What do we have here Gred?"

"Looks like Ickle Ronnikins is getting too big for his britches again, Forge."

Suddenly two more redheads popped up out of nowhere and on either side of the angry teen. Each of the taller boys dropped an arm across the slightly shorter teens shoulders heavily. 'Ronnikins', as he was dubbed by the twins, grunted at the impact and tried to shrug free.

"Shove off Fred, George, this pipsqueak was the one to slam into me!" The angry teen pointed an accusing finger at Harry which had Tom frowning and his eyes narrowing dangerously.

Harry was about to apologize, again, but Tom very carefully moved him to the side so that Tom could address the situation.

"Harry apologized twice for his momentary lack of courtesy. You are being immensely rude making this situation out to be worse than it is seeing as how the area is crowded and people are bound to occasionally bump into each other. Although my boyfriend would rather apologize once more, I feel it is who should be apologizing for causing a scene." Tom poured every ounce of his pure blood mannerisms into his speech. His eyebrow arched and his lips thinned as he spoke, clearly showing just how disgusted he was with the younger teen.

The three redheads were silent for a moment before the twins broke out into fierce grins. One started to rub the younger teens hair roughly while the other wrapped his arm more tightly around the boy's shoulders.

"You heard the man Ronnikins! Better apologize!"

"We wouldn't want mother finding out about how rude you've been."

"And I'm sure-"

"-she would be most upset-"

"-should a little birdy-"

"-or two-"

"-whisper in her ear."

Ron struggled and was finally able to push the two older redheads off of his shoulders. "Fine! Just bloody stop it!" He tried to smooth down his now rumpled shirt and pat down his messed up hair before turning to Harry and Tom. A rather unfavorable purple color was spreading across his cheeks as he looked at Harry. "I'm sorry for being rude."

He didn't mean it and everyone knew it, but Tom wasn't about to press the issue when Harry was becoming more and more uncomfortable with the growing amount of people that were watching them.

"It's alright. I'm sorry for running into you, really I am." Harry insisted with a small smile.

Tom huffed through his nose and rolled his eyes over Harry's third apology. "Come, Harry. You wanted to get Omnioculars."

The younger of the redheads stormed away while the twins watched Tom and Harry with interest as the two wandered away.

"Did he say-"

"-Harry?"

* * *

Tom and Harry had to go to several vendors in order to find a pair of omnioculars, most vendors having sold out fairly quickly.

"Do you know which team you want to cheer for?" Tom asked as Harry looked over the merchandise for both teams.

Harry hummed softly in reply before shaking his head. "I don't know enough about either team." He spoke quietly so that only Tom would hear. "I mean, I guess I could cheer for Ireland, since it's a home team and all, but what if Bulgaria has the better team? I would rather cheer for a team that works well together and has decent strategy over a home team that just flails about."

It was an old argument that Tom had heard many times between Harry and his friends. Tom wasn't really into sports, but he knew there were two types of sports fans; those that cheered fanatically for their chosen team no matter what, and those that chose their teams based on what they thought made a team good.

Harry fell into the second category. The younger teen used his Slytherin cunning to accurately predict which teams would do well during a season based on his observations of how the teams performed.

"Perhaps you should get something for each team then." Tom suggested lightly. "That way you'll have something to keep no matter who wins."

"I suppose so."

Two scarves were picked out then, one for Ireland and one for Bulgaria. Harry even grabbed a couple stiff flags that he hoped to perhaps get signed later.

"I think it's about time to head to the stadium." Harry was grinning widely as he noticed the large crowds that were heading into the forest not far from the campsite that was brimming with witches and wizards from around the world.

Fearing that they would get separated in the crowd, Tom grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him close. Harry was practically bouncing as they joined the flow of the crowd.

When the trees finally cleared Harry could on gasp at the large stadium that had been built and magically concealed. Even Tom was a little impressed with the display; obviously the magical world had advanced in some areas since they'd travelled to the future. None of the stadiums they'd gone to in the past had ever been as impressive as the one they were currently staring at.

"Any idea where our seats are?" Harry asked as they continued to walk with the flow of the crowd. He only got a nod and a sly grin from Tom which left Harry frowning and huffing in annoyance. "I swear if you are being sneaky about something-"

"Just enjoy the surprise Harry." Tom cooed pleasantly. He let go of Harry's hand just long enough to slip his arm around Harry's shoulders. "This is our last date before school starts and I wanted to make this as special as possible."

Tom's soothing words had Harry sighing in exasperation, but he at least relented and nodded with a grin.

"Come on then. We're going to be up rather high." Tom pulled the tickets from his pocket and had to show it to a few people stationed here and there the farther up they went.

Harry was grinning like an idiot as they climbed higher and higher. The higher seats always had the best view of the quidditch matches in Harry's opinion. Even though he knew Tom couldn't care less, it was nice to know he had paid enough attention to Harry's preferences to get seats that Harry would enjoy.

"Tom…" Harry had to hesitate though and bite his lip when they arrived at a guarded door to the very obvious VIP box. "What did you do?" He reached up to poke at Tom's shoulder.

"I told you Harry," Tom smirked as he handed over the tickets and the door was opened for them. "I wanted to make this special."

Even when they'd gone to matches with the Malfoy's, they'd never gotten seats in the VIP box. Instead they'd gotten one of the smaller family friendly boxes that were below the VIP box. Harry was too impressed and exhilarated to admonish Tom for not telling him sooner about the very special, and probably very expensive, seats.

Much to Tom's dismay he spotted a large group of redheads that had taken the front row of the box, one of which was the young teen that had been so rude to his Harry.

"Your seats are the center two." The usher told them, leading them to the center row that was still fairly empty. The redheaded family was several rows in front of them so Tom wouldn't have to worry about the idiot one being an irritant.

"Thank you sir." Harry smiled at the man before taking his seat.

Tom only nodded in thanks before settling down next to Harry. He was mentally preparing himself for a long and boring afternoon and possibly evening when the seats next to him were filled. He didn't really pay any attention to the newcomers, instead crossing one leg over his other knee so he could get comfortable.

Harry was babbling next to him, reading from some sort of booklet he must have bought from one of the vendors while Tom wasn't paying attention.

"Pardon me,"

At one point Tom had closed his eyes to relax. The voice next to him had him opening his eyes to look at the speaker.

Tom froze instantly. Sitting next to him was the spitting image of Abraxas, but older! He had to remind himself that his adopted brother had passed away, along with his adopted parents. But there was no denying that that platinum blonde hair and striking silver blue eyes were those of a Malfoy.

"Have we met?" The man asked with a slight frown and crinkle of his brows.

The more Tom looked at the man the easier it was for him to find differences between the man and Abraxas.

"I'm afraid not sir." Tom used one of his more charming and innocent smiles on the man. "My boyfriend and I were living in France until very recently and we do not know many people as of yet."

Tom was able to look past the older gentleman for a moment. There was a teen there, probably around Harry's age, that looked just as Abraxas had when they'd all been in their mid teens.

It was a good thing Harry was too involved with his informational booklet to notice their seat neighbors.

"Lucius Malfoy." The man turned just enough to hold his hand out to Tom.

Harry snapped out of his reading and his green eyes were focused on the older Malfoy the moment he heard the name used.

Tom caught the subtle intake of breath from Harry and for a moment he worried that his young love would say or do something that would reveal just who they were.

"Thomas Peverell." It wasn't like Tom could just turn down the polite introduction. So he took the offered hand and gave it a single firm shake, just as Drake Malfoy had taught him all those years ago.

"This is my son Draco." Lucius gestured to his side once he and Tom had let go of each other's hands.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both, Lord and Heir Malfoy."

Lucius looked past Tom expectantly, eyeing Harry who was staring right back with his wide green eyes that were almost glistening.

"Ah...yes…" Tom lowered his voice and leaned a little closer to Lucius. "This is my boyfriend, Harry Potter." The last thing either of them needed was for all the witches and wizards in the box to throw a fit.

"Harry Po-"

"It's a pleasure to meet you sir." Harry piped up quickly. "I would prefer if you just call me Harry." His smile was as sweet and warm as he could make it. "I'm unused to attention and the goblins at Gringotts suggested I avoid giving out my surname for the time being." He glared playfully at Tom. "If Tom told you, then he must think you are trustworthy; not something he feels about most people."

Harry's pure blood and Slytherin training were in full effect as he laced his words with compliments meant to feed egos.

Lucius clamped his mouth shut instantly and nodded. "Of course." The Malfoy Lord was quick to recover from his shock. "We wouldn't want a riot."

"Tom, Lord Malfoy? Would it be possible to switch our seats around so that I may get to know Draco?" Harry looked at his boyfriend and the elder Malfoy with his biggest eyes. "I don't have any friends my age yet and it would be nice to have a friend before the school term starts."

Tom bristled at the idea of Harry being separated from him. He didn't want anyone, even a Malfoy, to sit between himself and his Harry.

"I suppose it wouldn't be a problem if the two of us switch seats." Lucius was smirking ever so slightly, his mind whirling with ideas over the potential making friends with the Potter boy would bring.

Lucius and Harry stood up and switched seats, leaving Tom between them and Draco on the other side of Harry.

As soon as they were all comfortable again, Harry was showing Draco the booklet he'd gotten and was asking the Malfoy teen for his opinions on the two teams.

"So, Peverell was it? That is not a name that I have heard in some time." Lucius watched Tom with keen interest. "Such an old name, I thought the family had died out."

"It had sir." Tom resumed his relaxed posture, leaning back in his seat as he did so. "In Britain at least. I'm the last of the branch that moved to France several generations back." It was the story that the goblins had helped to concoct during the many hours they had spent together. "I returned because the goblins insisted that the Lordship be claimed. Apparently the Peverell vaults had been frozen for too long due to not being claimed."

His words were said as casually as possible, but what he said had Lucius' eyes widening minutely and his nose flaring a bit as he breathed in quickly. Tom smirked pleasantly in the knowledge that he had surprised the man.

"So the goblins tracked down all the possible branches. I was found to be the closest to the direct line and..well here we are."

"Indeed." Lucius was eyeing Tom as if the teenager was some rare prize. "Will you be taking the wizengamot seats as well?"

Tom had been planning on doing as such, but he made himself look as if he were contemplating it. "Perhaps after I learn more about the Laws here. From what I have seen the laws here are rather…" Tom made a face of disgust "ridiculous really as compared to France. Although France prides itself on its change and growth, they at least work to keep the statute of secrecy protected."

The elder Malfoy was nodding along with what Tom was saying. If Tom had not been raised by Malfoys and had grown up in the Slytherin house, he would have had trouble reading the man. It was easy though for him to see that Malfoy was interested; to what extent Tom still had to learn.

There was a cheer from the crowd around them and Tom took notice of Harry and Draco leaning forward as the opening ceremony started.

"I do hope the veela's are here willingly." Tom mused as he watched the Bulgarian's mascots move out onto the field. It was a calculated comment, spoken quietly so that only Lucius would hear.

It was a secret that the Malfoy family kept close to their hearts that Tom only knew because of his and Harry's adoptions. The secret being that the Malfoy's had married now and then to veelas through the generations. It was where the Malfoy's got their ethereal grace, silky smooth hair, and delicate noble features.

Tom showing favor to a race of beings that were considered 'dark' by most the ignorant side of the magical world would go a long way to gaining Lucius' trust.

Sure enough Lucius was looking at Tom in surprise before schooling his features. "You are pro-creature then?"

"Yes and no." Tom leaned his elbow against the armrest of his seat so he could rest his chin against his raised hand. "Some creatures have just as much magic and intelligence as most wizards, but they are classified as creatures because they cannot control certain aspects of their natures that make them dangerous. Such creatures should be given certain restrictions in order to protect themselves and ourselves. Veela," He waved his freehand towards the pitch where the veela were dancing progressively faster "are beings, not creatures. They should have the same rights as any other being."

His reply to Lucius' question was both an answer and not. He wasn't saying whether or not he was pro-creature, but at the same time he wasn't saying he was against rights of creatures either.

"Unfortunately many ignorant wizards and witches do not see the subtle difference between intelligent creatures and beings. So they classify anything not human as creatures." Tom sighed softly and shook his head. "Shame really. There are some races of beings and creatures that have such unique magic."

Tom was momentarily distracted by Harry's laughter over the younger redhead trying to jump past the railing barrier of the VIP box only to be grabbed by a girl next to him who had frizzy brown hair.

"I see you and your companion were not affected by the Veela allure."

"Of course not. Harry and I both have impeccable control." In actuality Tom was affected because of how he was not attracted to anyone but Harry. He wasn't quite sure why Harry was unaffected, but it was nice to see that his boyfriend had no interest in such beautiful female beings.

After the leprechauns were done, which led to more hilarity as the young redhead boy started jumping around to pick up the gold that would vanish within a few hours, Lucius and Tom continued their discussion.

Lucius was definitely the son of Abraxas Malfoy, much to Tom's delight. He hadn't been as close to Abraxas as Harry had been, but he had always enjoyed talking to his adopted brother. The two of them could talk for hours over just about any topic.

"Are you sure we have not met before?" Lucius asked suddenly sometime during the game. "There is just something about you…"

Tom sucked in his breath and his gaze turned wary. He glanced over at Harry and Draco, glad to see that the two of them were to immersed in the game to take notice of the conversation going on next to them.

Abraxas must have told his son stories about Tom and Harry at some point. Tom was wearing his glamour ring which masked his features just enough so that no one from the past would recognize him. But even with stories there was no way for Lucius to recognize him...unless...

"I don't think so." Tom said slowly. According to the goblins, Lucius Malfoy and his son might be trustworthy, but they weren't sure since the man had been an accused follower of the fake Voldemort. "Though I suppose an answer could be found in time. But that is the past and we can only look towards the future now."

Blue eyes met silver and Tom could see confusion barely concealed in Lucius' gaze. His words had been cryptic for a reason. If Lucius did find the answer then he would also learn just who Tom and Harry really were. If Abraxas had told his son something, then it wouldn't take long for Lucius to figure things out.

The game was several hours in when something finally clicked in Lucius' mind. "According to my father, I had two uncles once." He whispered brokenly. "He told me many things about them, things that are considered a family secret."

Tom watched Lucius and listened closely as he spoke.

"If you are who I think you are...and Harry is who I think he is…" Lucius swallowed hard when Tom nodded very slightly. "I had thought his stories were just that, stories, but he always insisted that his brothers would return."

"There is danger in this world, Lord Malfoy." Tom kept his voice low as well. "One danger in particular that we have been facing since we were boys. We will need to speak later. Now is not the time nor place." Tom turned away from Lucius then, to appear as if his focus was on the match.

Lucius hissed ever so softly and grabbed Tom's shoulder. "Are you staying close by after the match?" He asked rather quickly.

"Of course not. I went camping only once with my family and refuse to ever do so ever again." Tom wrinkled his nose at the mere idea of staying in a tent even if it was magical.

The older Malfoy nodded and he seemed to relax a little. "Best not to dwell then. I imagine there will be quite the revelry once night falls."

There was something about the way Lucius spoke that had Tom on edge. He kept his body relaxed as possible as he nodded. "Harry and I will be returning home for the night. We have both had a long day and we will both be quite tired come nightfall."

The loudest cheer Tom had ever heard filled his ears and people were suddenly on their feet. Harry was practically jumping and his eyes were sparkling as he watched what was happening in the air. Draco was right next to him watching just as intensely.

"In the most shocking win in the history of the World Cup, Krum has caught the snitch giving Ireland the WIN!"

* * *

Special thanks to: Louise to

A/N: I was really debating whether or not Tom would drop hints to Lucius so early in their introduction to each other. But I decided to do it. The glamour that Tom thinks the ring has on him doesn't work on Lucius or Draco, something I will address in the next chapter.


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I do not own HP.

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 31: The Return

Harry and Draco seemed to have become fast friends in their shared love of quidditch. They were still absorbed in each other even as the four of them, Tom, Harry, Lucius, and Draco, left the VIP box.

"Harry…" Tom was smiling fondly as Harry babbled about the various plays that had occurred during the match. "I've got one more surprise for you." He glanced at Lucius and then at Draco. He wanted to have a few more words with them before they all separated. "Would you like to join us for a little while?"

"Just for a few minutes I think." Lucius nodded quickly in agreement which left Draco trying desperately to control just how happy he was.

"Ugh...what are _you_ doing here ferret?"

Harry knew that voice. It was the voice of the boy that he had bumped into earlier. Not his most graceful moment.

"Ronald, manners!" A tall man with hair just as red as all the others in his group hastily interrupted the boy. The taller man, whom Tom assumed was the boy's father, had grabbed the boy by the shoulders to keep him from stepping forward to continue his insults.

"Ah. Arthur." Lucius had placed his hand on his own son's shoulder to keep him grounded. "I see you brought your children. I do wonder what you had to do to afford such exclusive seats. Especially for so many of your...children." Lucius looked over each child slowly.

Anyone from Slytherin would have instantly recognized the animosity between the two older men, even if they were speaking civilly. Tom had the added benefit of having grown up in the Malfoy home so he could see and hear just how repulsed Lucius was of the red haired man.

"To answer your question, _Weasley,_ the minister invited my father and I to attend. Otherwise we would have had our usual private box." Draco sneered deeply at the teen that was only barely taller than him.

So that was what was going on. These were the Weasleys. The Malfoys and the Weasleys had been in a blood feud for more than 300 years. Tom and Harry had been lucky to have attended Hogwarts while no Weasleys had been present.

Tom's lips pursed as he looked over all the redheads. The only two that weren't glaring back were the twins; they were just grinning and whispering to each other. Something told Tom that they were either planning to do something against them, or that they honestly did not care about the blood feud.

"Excuse me sirs."

The tension that had descended on the group broke when a young woman in an official looking uniform approached them.

"I'm looking for Thomas Peverell to take him to the private meeting with-"

"That would be me." Tom was quick to interrupt the woman. This part of the package he had paid for was supposed to be a surprise for Harry. "Lord Malfoy and his son will be joining us." Thankfully he hadn't had to specify how many people he would be bringing along for this part of the evening.

Draco sent one last sneer at the youngest of the male redheads before they were led away.

The woman snapped her mouth shut, smiled, and nodded. "Of course. If you would follow me." She bowed slightly before turning to head towards a door to the back of the VIP box; one that no one else seemed to be using.

"Tom? What's going on?" Harry frowned deeply as Tom steered him towards the door with a small secretive smile. Harry huffed in annoyance, but he ended up going along with whatever was going on; after all Tom would never plan anything that would put him in actual danger.

"Draco and I will not be able to stay long. We have a dinner party to attend to tonight." Lucius gave Tom a pointed look.

Recalling what they had discussed during the game, Tom's only response was to nod. He had already realized that the older Malfoy wanted them to be as far from the stadium, and most likely the camping grounds, as possible. Something was going on and with how frequently Lucius was reminding Tom of his plans, he knew that the elder Malfoy was making sure he had an alibi and that everyone knew of it.

Harry continued asking questions about what was going on, which Tom ignored for the most part. Now and then he would grin or wink at Harry, but nothing else.

"Consider this a late birthday gift." Tom cooed when their escort finally stopped outside a strongly warded door. She knocked on the door three times and Tom felt as the wards were lowered and they could suddenly hear laughter and noise coming from the other side of the door.

They were escorted into the after party of the match. Both teams were in attendance and, even though they had lost, even the Bulgarian team seemed to be in high spirits.

"Tom! You- This-" Harry stuttered in shock before breaking out into a huge grin. "This is awesome!"

Without even thinking about it, Harry grabbed Draco's hand along with Tom's and dragged them into the party. Draco was a bit more willing and eager to follow while Tom just put up with the childish glee with a fond smile.

Autographs were quickly collected and Harry was constantly smiling over the fact that he was meeting the quidditch players. He even got to talk to Krum for a few minutes when the Bulgarian seeker found out that Harry usually played seeker during friendly matches.

Harry was careful not to reveal anything of his past that would contradict the story they and goblins had come up with, but that didn't mean he couldn't talk about different racing brooms, dangerous flying maneuvers, or quidditch history.

Tom hung back to let Harry really enjoy his time with the quidditch players. It was nice to see his Harry smiling so brightly and being so animated. Even though Harry had been hiding it really well, Tom knew the last couple months had been hard on him. The younger teen missed his family terribly and sometimes Tom got the feeling that the knowledge that their family was dead hadn't really sunk in fully.

"I would like to extend an invitation to the Malfoy manor before the start of the school term."

While Tom had been watching Harry, Lucius had sidled up next to him. "When?"

"Tomorrow for lunch?" Lucius was smiling ever so slightly as he watched his son speaking with the Bulgarian captain. "I would invite you to breakfast, but with how late I am expecting the dinner party to go, breakfast will probably be late in the morning."

As much as Tom wanted to accept, he couldn't. "Unfortunately Harry and I have an appointment we have to go to. We are not sure how long it will take, but perhaps we will be able to make it to dinner? If that is acceptable?"

Lucius nodded in understanding. "Of course. If things do not go as planned please send a message along."

After about twenty minutes of enjoying the party, Lucius had to pull Draco away so they could head home. "Be safe on your way home." Lucius mumbled to Tom before he and his son left.

At one point during the party, Tom was approached by a man that was introduced as the Minister of Magic. Apparently Tom's association with Lucius Malfoy had gotten Minister Fudge's attention and the older man had made it a point of meeting Tom.

It took all of a minute for Tom to ascertain that Fudge was useless. The man was full of himself after years of being catered to and his voice had a grating quality that had Tom mentally wincing.

"If you would excuse me, Minister." Tom bowed slightly to the man before quickly excusing himself to collect Harry. They'd been at the party an additional hour since the Malfoy's had left and he was starting to feel twitchy.

"Tom! Viktor says I can write to him." Harry told his boyfriend excitedly when he felt Tom's hand on his shoulder. "He says next summer we could visit and he could give me quidditch tips."

"Wouldn't that be fun." Tom turned his gaze to the Bulgarian, eyeing him critically. The man was watching Harry with a small smile that had Tom's jealousy rearing up. Harry seemed to be too excited to notice the attention. "We should be going Harry. It's getting late and we wouldn't want to inconvenience the goblins with our portkey."

Harry sighed dramatically, but nodded all the same. "It was nice meeting you Viktor!"

"You as vell 'arry."

Tom and Harry were out of the stadium and heading towards the closest assigned portkey spot after that. Harry was still excitedly telling Tom all about the various quidditch players and what he had learned from them in the short amount of time they'd been there. He was so focused on telling Tom everything, that Harry at first didn't notice the building magic in the air.

It wasn't until he stumbled and his head started to feel fuzzy that he realized that something was interfering with his dampener charm.

"T-Tom." Harry grabbed onto Tom's arm to keep from falling over when the magic that had been building suddenly slammed down on the area around them.

The magic in the air was murky and disgusting. It felt a lot like Dumbledore's magic, and yet there was something twisted about it that made it feel stale.

"We n-need to go." Harry whispered. Even though the magic was stale, it still felt so strongly of Dumbledore that Harry was almost sure the old man would show up any moment.

With a nod Tom grabbed the portkey from around his neck and tapped it three times while whispering the code word, but nothing happened. Tom cursed and scooped Harry up when the younger teen stumbled again.

There were wards blocking the use of portkeys and apparition.

At first Tom was going to go the campsite, but what originally sounded like a party had turned into screams of terror coming from that direction. Instead Tom turned on his heel and charged in the opposite direction. He wouldn't go back the stadium, that would probably become the next target, instead Tom hurried away from everything.

Harry was whimpering in his arms and his arms were clinging desperately around Tom's neck. This was too similar to the last attack and it had Tom on edge. He was constantly looking around him for any sign of movement.

Thankfully they weren't attacked, but both of the teens could hear people in the forest around them trying to get away as well.

Finally, finally they were past whatever wards had been dropped into place and as fast as he could, Tom used the portkey to get them out of there not trusting himself to apparate the two of them safely.

The twisting, spinning, and squeezing sensation of the portkey along with the sudden departure had Tom stumbling and falling to his knees when the portkey finally spat them back out.

"Ah. Did you two have a good-" The goblin that had been speaking stopped at the sight of a sobbing Harry and a dishevelled Tom.

"There was an attack." Tom's voice was cold and his eyes hard as he stared past the goblin. "Is Gothrack still here?"

"Of course sir." The goblin inclined his head and motioned for Tom to follow after him.

"Talk to me Harry." Tom whispered as he carefully got up off of his knees to follow after the goblin. "It's alright now. We're safe. Talk to me."

"It was _his_ magic! It was everywhere!" Harry gasped in a breath between sobs. "But it felt stale and old, almost like it was sick, but it was definitely his!"

"He's a coward and an old fool." Tom was only barely paying attention to the goblin and to where they were going. Harry was still shaking in his arms and Tom had to calm him down before Harry could fall into a panic attack. "We'll make sure he can never hurt us again. We'll get allies and power. When the time comes we'll strike him down and he'll never hurt us again."

Slowly Harry started to calm down the longer Tom whispered assurances to him. By the time they made it to Gothrack's office, which Tom was sure they had passed twice while he'd been trying to calm Harry down, Harry was sound asleep in Tom's arms.

"Lord Peverell. I was not expecting you." Gothrack was sitting behind his desk reading through reports and writing notes for himself. "Nian reports that you said there was an attack?"

Tom entered the office and took a seat at the couch so that he wouldn't have to adjust his hold on Harry.

"There was. We were just leaving the stadium to head home when Harry felt Dumbledore's magic surrounding the area. They were anti portkey and apparition wards." Tom explained quickly. "We heard screams coming from the direction of the campsite and we went the other way."

"Dumbledore's magic?"

"Yes. Harry said it was Dumbledore's."

Gothrack made a noise in the back of his throat as his quill scratched swiftly across the parchment he was writing on. A moment later the parchment folded itself up into an origami bird and then flew off.

"We had several goblin representatives there observing bets. They will be instructed to take samples of all magical residue." With that said, the goblin account manager folded his hands on top of his desk.

Tom felt his shoulders relax some. "I know you said before that there would be so much ambient magic at the world cup that the tracer on Harry wouldn't work correctly...but is there a chance-"

"If Dumbledore had been able to work through the wards around the World Cup, we have little doubt he would have been on Harry the moment he left London." Gothrack smiled in what Tom could assume to be a comforting manner, but it just showed off the goblins very sharp teeth. "Speaking of the tracking charm, the potions master has confirmed that the potion will be done on schedule."

More of the stress that Tom had been burdened with lifted and he let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you Gothrack."

"Take a moment to center yourself Lord Peverell and then it is best if you and Harry return to your flat." Gothrack himself was wanting to finish up his paperwork for the night so he could return to his own home.

Sensing that perhaps the goblin was only sticking around because he was waiting on them, Tom only took a minute or two before standing up.

"May your gold always grow." Tom bowed as best he could to Gothrack.

"And may your enemies fall before you."

* * *

Despite his position at Hogwarts, when the goblins had first approached Severus to hire him on for contract work now and then, Severus had been quick to accept. It was well known that the goblins paid well, even for their contract work, and goblins very rarely ever hired outside of their own nation.

So for the last 14 years Severus had been taking various jobs from the goblins. He'd earned quite a large sum of gold from his work. Most of the time he was just asked to make obscure potions that required someone of his background and knowledge to make, or was asked to make any potions that could only be made, legally, by licensed potions masters.

On rare occasions he was even paid to go to strange and remote areas of the world to collect potion ingredients that the goblins could not obtain themselves.

It was good work that satisfied a part of Severus that being a professor at Hogwarts never could.

When he had been contacted at the beginning of summer by the goblins he hadn't been surprised. His interest was piqued when he was told what it was he needed to do.

Tracking potions weren't exactly tricky to make, but they varied in type and could easily be adjusted and altered to suit the creators needs. The tricky part was creating an antidote that would not harm the patient.

Normally the goblins would send Severus their instructions along with the contract and he would be able to brew in peace in his own lab. This time though had been different. This time he had been asked to brew at the lab inside the bank. He had also been asked to sign quite a few forms that would ensure the privacy and protection of the client.

He'd only been in the goblin's lab once before, during his interview process, so he was practically salivating at the thought that he would get to work in the lab. The goblins always had the top of the line equipment and the best ingredients.

Severus never asked questions, outside of those that were necessary such as the health, height, weight, and blood type of the patient, but even he had to admit that the goblins were being a bit more paranoid than normal about this particular client. Other than the absolute necessary information, and the blood sample, they hadn't revealed a single thing to the potions master.

The blood sample he had been given had been astounding. Just the tiny sample was so full of magic that it took Severus some time to sort through what was the natural magic connected to the blood and what had been placed there by outside means.

As much as he hated to admit it, it had taken him much longer than he had first predicted to finally isolate what had been used in the tracking potion.

And then it had taken him almost a month to create and brew the necessary potion. He'd ruined the first blood sample that he had been given, the first antidote had had a slight imbalance of powdered acromantula legs and mistletoe berry juice, but he'd figured it out in the end.

Now the brewing was done and he would be meeting the young man the potion was for.

Apparently the patient had been hesitant about him being there, but since this was Severus' potion he had to be there to be able to counteract any possible problems that might arise from the potion. Just in case.

The goblins had understood and had explained the situation to the patient, but the patient had been so paranoid that the goblins had insisted that Severus sign yet another magical oath that he would not reveal who his patient was and would only contact the patient if either through Gringotts or if he himself was given permission from the patient.

Severus was starting to wonder if perhaps he was working with some member of nobility or the gentry. If that was the case though why had they gone through Gringotts? Usually any Lord or higher would privately higher their own healers or potion makers.

It really wasn't his business though. So, with an impatient glare at the magically created clock that was hanging in the air against the wall near him, Severus waited.

At exactly 9am, the time of the appointment with his patient, the door to the private exam room opened.

The goblin that had been working with Severus, Gothrack if the potions master remembered correctly, led two teenagers into the room. One was obvious of age, tall, extremely handsome, with well groomed wavy dark hair and blue eyes while the other looked to be maybe 13 with messy dark brown hair and brilliant emerald green eyes behind stylish glasses.

Those eyes! Severus would be able to recognize those anywhere! "Harry Potter!" His words came out in a scathing hiss and he felt both relief for the boy being alive and disgust that he was looking at James Potter's spawn.

Almost instantly the boy that he had been staring at shrank in on himself and his shoulders hunched up and forward.

"I would appreciate it if you did not use that tone of voice." The other teenager, the one to enter before Potter, said. His jaw was clenched and his eyes had narrowed drastically. He had placed a comforting hand on Potter's shoulder and the smaller teen seemed to melt into the touch.

Severus sneered, but he kept quiet. There was something about the older teen, something...familiar...that the potions master couldn't quite put his finger on.

There were so many things that Severus found himself wanting to say. For years he had thought he had failed in his oath to keep Potter safe, and yet here he was safe, healthy, and whole. He couldn't exactly blame the boy though could he? According to Dumbledore the boy hadn't even known his own importance; just that he had been spoiled and loved by his relatives.

Instead Severus kept his mouth shut and handed over the potion to the goblin in charge of this procedure when asked. He didn't need to speak so he elected to just stay silent.

"If you would drink this Heir Potter." Gothrack instructed as he handed the potion over to the younger teen.

With a deep breath, Harry lifted the glass vial to his lips. He'd taken enough potions in his life to know that this one was going to taste disgusting based on the smell it was giving off. So he closed his eyes and forced himself to knock the potion back fast, trying hard to get as much potion down his throat without it touching his tongue.

Harry made a face of disgust before handing the vial back to Gothrack. He shivered and twitched as he felt the slimy potion going down his throat. After a few minutes of waiting, Harry started giving off a slight glow. Nothing else happened for several minutes until the glowing suddenly ended with a soft crackling sound.

Gothrack lifted a hand and began mumbling a spell in gobbledegook. When nothing happened after a few minutes of that he simply nodded in relief.

"The tracking spell is gone. You should be safe to move about the country as you please." Gothrack brushed his hands together a few times. "If you want, you could leave the country. We could provide you with the same services that we have provided the others."

"No. You know I can't leave." Harry said slowly. He eyed the potion master for a moment, but he knew the spells and oath that the man had taken would keep him from saying anything to anyone. "I have to go to Hogwarts. I can't just leave the Castle in _his_ hands."

Harry, Tom, and Remus had had a long discussion about what needed to be done. Harry knew that he couldn't just leave the castle again. He was the Heir of Hogwarts and he had a responsibility to the castle. He felt he had to protect the castle just as the castle felt the need to protect him.

"Understandable, Heir Potter." Gothrack nodded his head before motioning for them to follow him out of the room. "Thank you for your assistance in this matter, Potion Master Snape. Your payment will be transferred to your account.

Seeing Potter leaving the room snapped Snape out of his silent glaring. "Potter-"

"Gothrack, would you be so kind as to go over the final details of our new home with Harry?" Tom didn't have to wait long before the goblin simply nodded and escorted Harry out of the room.

Tom let out a small sigh before turning his red rimmed eyes to Severus. "Anything you have to say to Harry, you will say to me first." He hissed out angrily. "I will not allow you to hurt Harry, even if the only weapon you use is words."

"What I have to say is private." Severus sneered at the younger teen. "I will not reveal secrets to someone that has no pertinence to the situation."

Tom blinked in surprise and his eyes widened ever so slightly. "No...pertinence?" He repeated the words slowly. "I have no 'pertinence'?"

"You are just a boy that thinks he is more important than he really is." Severus snapped, what little patience he had wearing thin. "You do not understand what is going on and because of that you are getting in the way."

Tom's eyes had remained blue for the most part, but at that moment they were blood red as he snarled at Severus. "Is that so?" He asked coldly before slowly stepping towards Severus. "I'm getting in the way?" He hissed softly at Severus. "Trusssst me when I say, I understand exactly what's going on."

When they had first entered the room, Tom had felt something strange coming from Severus' left arm. There was magic there that felt familiar and yet corrupted at the same time. Tom would have sworn it felt like his own magic, but that was impossible. It had to be impossible.

Like the snake that he was, Tom's arm snapped forward and grabbed hold of Severus' arm. Before the older man could pull away, Tom had literally ripped the sleeve of his robe off of his arm.

There, standing out against the man's pale arm, was a dark smudge that looked very much like an old tattoo of some sort.

Tom had been right. The magic that was coming from the mark did feel like his own, but now that he was close enough he was able to tell that the magical signature was artificial. Fake. The magic had been created to mimic his magic so that if anyone were to examine the mark, they would think Tom had put it there.

"Disgusting." Tom sneered at the mark. It didn't take a genius to figure out what that mark was. He'd read the reports from the goblins and had interrogated Remus for all information he had on the fake Voldemort. This mark was the imposters mark.

The room they were in had been charmed to prevent the use of magic requiring a wand. Severus was crippled in the room, but Tom wasn't. No, he had trained for years to hone his wandless magic.

He figured that since the magic in the mark had been created to match his own, it wouldn't be difficult for him to sink into the mark and change it.

And sure enough Tom's theory was right. His magic was able to overpower the fake signature and claim the mark as his own.

"You know," Tom cooed almost sweetly as he changed the mark utterly and completely, ignoring the man as he hissed in pain and tried to twist free of Tom's hold. Tom snickered softly as his magic worked at breaking the connection that had been there and replacing it with one to him. "when I first created the Knights of Walpurgis, I had been thinking about giving something to my followers. Something that I could use to call my followers to me."

Severus whimpered and he felt his legs give out when suddenly his mark was burning on his arm. He sank to the ground, biting his tongue to keep from making any more sounds. The pain wasn't nearly as bad as the cruciatus, but it still burned.

He couldn't stop wondering who this boy was and how it was that he so easily was able to control such dark magic that covered and controlled the dark mark on his arm.

"I was thinking perhaps a trinket, something that could be easily hidden. But this? This is ridiculous...How can anyone protect their allegiance to me when they are branded in such a way?" Tom ranted as he finished with the magic of the mark and instead focused on the mark's appearance. He liked the snake motif, but the skull was disgusting and morbid.

"Unless you haven't already figured it out," Tom said once he was done changing the mark. He let go of the man's arm to let it limply fall to the ground. "I am your true Master. The one you follow was created in my likeness by my enemy. I do not know your reasons for following such an abomination, but I will not let such a valuable resource escape my grasp."

Tom rubbed his hands together as if to clean them off. "Voldemort," his lip curled and he spat out the name as if it were something foul tasting, "is nothing but a fraud. A golem meant to create fear and chaos. Because of that golem, people have turned to the light side for protection and safety. Pitiful."

Which meant they had gone to _Dumbledore_. The man had a plethora of followers and minions now that obeyed him. They had no idea that Dumbledore was the real danger.

"W-what are you talking about?" Severus whispered in confusion and pain.

With a sigh, Tom regally knelt down in front of the older man that was still on his knees holding his arm. Tom took the arm and lightly traced the mark there. The mark had been changed to two snakes coiled around each other in an intricate celtic knot surrounding and entwining around the sowilo rune.

"What are you, a Hufflepuff? Voldemort, the man you pledged your loyalty to?" Tom waited until the potions master nodded. "He's not real. He was created by Dumbledore, who is really a power hungry bastard that is determined to make my life a living hell." At least that's what it felt like to Tom. "Dumbledore created the fake Voldemort in my image, using my name, and even found a way to mimic my magical signature."

How he had done that, Tom would need to figure out. The last thing he wanted was to be sent to Azkaban for things he most definitely did not do.

"Even though you went to a fraud, a fake, and pledged yourself to it, magic still took your oath seriously. As such, I am now your master and your loyalty belongs to me." Tom tapped at the mark on Severus' arm.

Severus felt like his head was reeling. He had trusted Dumbledore and yet here was some teenager telling him that Dumbledore was pretty much the reason for everything bad that had been happening.

"Anything you have to say to Harry, you will say to me."

He was nodding to the teen even before Severus realized he was doing so. "If what you say is true," his voice broke and Severus had to take a moment to center himself. "Then the things I have to tell Potter don't even matter anymore."

The only important thing that Severus was going to tell Potter was that he needed to get to the headmaster. He had wanted to tell Potter that he was in danger. If this older teen was right…then there was nothing that Severus had to say that would be of any use to the young teen.

"Good." Tom once more brushed his hands off. He glanced at his pocket watch and huffed softly. "I do have some time, so you will tell me about yourself and anything that may be of importance. Quickly."

As ordered, Severus found himself speaking quickly about himself and about his life. He tried to fight it, but the magic of the mark forced him to speak. The mark had never been that strong before, even when it had first been placed on him. In the past it had only ever caused him pain when he was summoned and would lead him to Voldemort. Now though...now the magic was just too powerful for Severus to disobey.

Now it was like a true mark of loyalty; one that Lords would give their most trusted followers in the old days. Severus would never be able to lie to the boy who claimed to be his true master.

"A professor at Hogwarts…" Tom murmured once Severus fell silent. "Good. Your position there will be useful in protecting Harry. He will, no doubt, be sorted into Slytherin which will make you his temporary guardian as his head of house during the school year. You will not allow Dumbledore to be anywhere near Harry alone. In fact, you will make sure that Harry is never alone while attending school."

The last thing any of them needed was for Harry to be in anymore danger than he already was.

"You know the students within your house. Choose those that you believe are the most trustworthy and make it known that they are to stay close to Harry."

It was an order that Severus knew he would not be able to ignore. The mark on his arm tingled and the magic laced in his skin would compel Severus to fulfill any order given to him by this teenager.

"If you need to contact me, send a letter through Gringotts to 'Thomas Peverell'. I'm sure you are familiar with how the mark works if I need to contact you."

Severus simply nodded and bit back a whimper. He remembered very well how his mark would burn whenever Voldemort summoned him.

"Very good. I want you to make a list of every one of my imposters followers, both imprisoned and free, and send it to me. I also want you to mark who you believe are the most trustworthy and who are the ones that would be willing to meet with me." Tom checked his watch again and sighed softly. "I want that list by tomorrow morning. As well as a list of any students that you feel would do as asked and protect Harry."

"What if Potter is not sorted into Slytherin, my Lord?" Severus almost bit his tongue as he mumbled that last part. "He is a Potter and Potters have only ever been in Gryffindor."

Tom let out a loud laugh that surprised the still kneeling man. "You'll find Harry to be full of surprises, Severussss." He smirked down at the man and the way Severus flinched when he hissed his name. "I am not a cruel master Severus. Do as I ask and you will never have to fear me."

And with that said, Tom left the examination room to rejoin Harry and Gothrack in the goblin's office.

* * *

The house in Hogsmeade was beautiful. On the outside it looked like a typical cottage that fit into the Hogsmeade aesthetic, but on the inside the building had been enchanted to look like a smaller version of the Malfoy Manor. Instead of over several dozen rooms, spanning two wings, it had a half dozen rooms for Harry, Tom, and anyone else they wanted to invite to stay with them.

The house included a library that had several powerful extension charms built in so that they could store as many books as they desired. It also had a spell that the goblins had included, free of charge, that would allow people to summon books by using keywords and phrases.

Instead of two large dining halls and several smaller ones that could be found in the Malfoy manor, there was just one large dining hall and one small one. Tom also chose to not include a ballroom. Instead there was one large sitting room that could easily fit twenty people.

There were two studies, a kitchen, and even an indoor pool. In the backyard, which was also enchanted with an undetectable enlargement spell, there was a greenhouse for various plants that Tom would use for his potion making.

"Thank you for all your work on our home." Tom said to the goblins that were showing he and Harry around. "This far outshines my expectations."

Goblins did not preen or even show reaction to praise, but Tom could detect at least a small smile from Gothrack.

"Goblins do nothing halfway." One of the goblin builders commented as he kept his own grin behind a well placed sneer.

"Of course." Tom merely nodded and agreed.

After dealing with Snape and the potion for Harry, Tom and Harry had been taken directly to their newly finished home in Hogsmeade. It really was a lovely home and Tom knew he would at least be comfortable there while Harry returned to school.

Tom wouldn't be alone in the large home thanks to Harry's begging. As they had gotten to know the man, Tom and Harry had found out that Remus actually didn't have a permanent residence. That led to Harry begging Tom to let the werewolf stay with them in their Hogsmeade house.

Harry's arguments weren't just emotional, he had also pointed out that it would be ridiculous to have a house with so many empty rooms. It would also be easier for Tom to go through with his plans if Remus was always nearby. Tom could also see the benefit of having the werewolf close as the man would be able to help protect Harry better if he was living in the same general area.

Which had Tom changing the building plans a little to include a large and heavily warded basement that could be enchanted to look and feel like a forest. Once a month Lupin would go down into the basement and would be able to keep his wolf satisfied with a night of running around in the safety of a secured basement.

The werewolf would be joining them on the following day.

"Here are your things Harry," Tom reached into his pocket to pull out the shrunken trunks that held all of Harry's belongings. "Go choose a room for yourself. Remember that we have dinner plans with the Malfoy's."

With Harry gone to take care of his belongings, Tom was able to focus completely on the goblins and their explanation of how the wards worked.

As the head of the household, Tom would have primary control of the wards. Harry would be given secondary control, but he wouldn't be able to drop or change the wards as extensively as Tom would be able to. Remus would be keyed into the wards, since he would be living there, but he would not have the ability to do anything to them.

The house also had an altered version of the fidelius on it. People could technically see the house, as its absence would be noticed by the magical community, but they would forget its location even while looking at it and would not be able to talk about the house. In essence they would just feel like the house was not worth their notice.

Tom had decided that Gothrack would be the secret keeper seeing as how no one would ever suspect a goblin as being such. It seemed that by putting his trust in the goblin, Tom had been elevated a bit in the eyes of the goblins. Since making his decision, the goblins had shown just a little more respect to the young Lord.

For Tom it just didn't make sense not to choose a goblin over another wizard. Who would ever be able to get information out of a race of beings that prided itself on discretion, secrecy, and war?

The house also came with two house elves; one for himself and one for Harry. The one for Harry would also follow Remus' orders seeing as how Harry wouldn't be around most of the year.

"Ginger." Tom called out and almost instantly a young looking house elf with perky ears and bright brown eyes popped up in front of Tom in a curtsy. "Take my belongings and start unpacking them in my room."

Since he was the master of the household he would of course get the master bedroom.

"Of course, my Lord." The small house elf nodded and took the shrunken trunks from Tom before popping away.

"The wardstone is this way, Lord Peverell." Gothrack motioned for Tom to follow after him. They were already finished with the fidelius charm and now that Tom had been given all the information needed for accessing the wards, it was time for him to actually bind the wardstone to his magic.

Having grown up in the Malfoy Manor and knowing that he would one day be a Lord, Tom had been taught everything he needed to know about wards and wardstones. When they arrived at the hidden and protected wardstone, which had been hidden under the staircase behind a portrait of a glimmering lake with the northern lights flashing across a night sky, it was easy work for Tom to bind the stone.

"Congratulations, Lord Peverell." Gothrack bowed ever so slightly. "The manor is yours fully and completely."

"You have my thanks Gothrack."

The goblin smiled in his sneering, toothy way. With the handover complete he and the other goblins excused themselves to return to Gringotts.

Tom was left alone to figure out for himself what to do next before the dinner meeting with the Malfoy's.

* * *

Harry was practically bouncing next to Tom as they side along apparated to the edge of the Malfoy property.

Without the blood adoption running through their veins, Tom wasn't sure if the wards would let them through straight to the manor. So Tom had chosen to just play it safe and apparate to the edge where guests usually arrived.

It felt like it had been years since the two teens had returned to the Malfoy Manor even though it had only been a half year for the two; since they had gone back for the winter holidays. Still, gazing upon the magnificent old manor with its white walls, marble pillars, and sprawling grounds had both Tom and Harry feeling like they were, finally, returning home.

"You said Lord Malfoy knows who we are, right?" Harry whispered as he and Tom started the long trek to the front door of the manor.

For what felt like the hundredth time, Tom nodded. "Yes. He figured things out during the World Cup. If he doesn't know the truth, he at least suspects it." But Tom was fairly certain that the Malfoy Lord knew just who they were.

It wasn't like Tom had been completely subtle.

Harry continued to ask random questions, ones that Tom couldn't answer, but that didn't seem to bother Harry. Tom was sure Harry was mostly rambling because he was nervous as well as excited.

They didn't even have to knock once they were at the door. The double doors that acted as the main entrance of Malfoy Manor were opened just as they reached them. Standing just beyond the doors were Lucius, Draco, and a woman that Tom could only assume was Lady Malfoy.

"Welcome to our home." The woman curtsied gracefully as Tom and Harry stepped inside. "I am Lady Narcissa Malfoy."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Malfoy." Tom lightly grasped the hand that the woman was offering to him and skimmed his lips against her knuckles before letting go. Harry did the same, but added a large warm smile.

The corner of Narcissa's lips twitched as she kept herself from smiling any wider than the small polite smile she was already giving the two teens.

"Dinner should be ready in about an hour. Our son Draco has offered to give young Harry a tour if you would like." Lucius even as Draco started nodding enthusiastically.

Both Harry and Tom had to keep from grinning. Even though the two of them had spent more time at the Malfoy Manor in Scotland, they knew this one well enough. Still, Harry nodded and followed after Draco who was doing his best to walk with a calm gate.

"Narcissa, if you would go and check on the dinner preparations?"

The order was subtle, but the elegant woman that was standing besides Lucius nodded and gave Tom one last curtsey before she turned and left for the kitchens.

"So...father was right." Lucius' shoulders, which had been tense in the presence of his wife and son, relaxed once he was alone with Tom. "He was so sure you would return one day...uncle."

"Well then," Tom smirked a bit and his blue eyes glimmered in the candle light. "It seems you have figured everything out."

Lucius nodded and gestured almost imperceptibly for Tom to follow him. "Father always spoke fondly of his two adopted brothers, he even had a portrait done of the two of you although he could only have the basic enchantments placed upon it." He led the younger man through the manor towards one of the back rooms of the first floor that was reserved for just family. "Your eyes are different from your portrait, but he suspected they might be."

Inside of the room was a large portrait that held only two people; Tom and Harry. The two in the painting could move and showed just a hint of the personalities of the real people, but without Tom and Harry present at the time of the actual enchanting the portrait couldn't talk or interact with anyone.

Harry was smiling joyously, something he almost always did when he was home, while Tom himself was staring stoically forward only to smile fondly whenever he glanced down at Harry.

"Abraxas did a fine job." Tom whispered a little horsley. This was how Abraxas had remembered them; full of life, powerful, and always together.

"He died when I was young, but not before he told me everything he could about the two of you." Lucius spoke softly. "Father had a portrait made and kept it updated until his death...if you want to speak with him."

"Perhaps later." Tom whispered. "Harry will want to see him." As much as Tom had tried to keep himself separated emotionally from everyone growing up, he had grown fond of Abraxas. His heart squeezed at the thought of being alive with his adopted brother and he knew it was even harder for Harry.

"Your arm." Tom's steely blue eyes turned sharply to Lucius and he held out his hand expectantly. "I can feel the corrupted magic on your arm. If your father were alive he would have skinned your hide for submitting yourself to a maniac!"

Lucius sucked in a breath of surprise and for a moment he grabbed his arm where the hidden mark was. "H-how-"

"I may not have been the one to put that mark on your arm," Tom hissed as he grabbed hold of the appendage, "but it was made with magic meant to mimic my own. I can feel it as strongly as I can feel my own magic."

With a little more finesse and gentleness then how he had taken care of the mark on Snape's arm, Tom rolled up Lucius' sleeve and proceeded to change the mark and the magic there to suit his own purposes.

Lucius hissed in pain, but he didn't fall to his knees.

After a few minutes of work, Tom released Lucius' arm. "There. I can't remove it, but I was able to alter it. Whatever spells that were used in combination to the loyalty oaths have made it permanent."

The mark was significantly smaller compared to what it had been. Tom had continued with the celtic snake motif, but instead of the sowilo rune he had replaced the skull with the Malfoy crest. That way, if anyone were to see it, Lucius could claim that it was just a sign of his loyalty to his lineage.

"You're right about my father. When his portrait found out about what I had done, he gave me a rather viscius tongue lashing."

Tom snickered softly and nodded, his eyes glazing over slightly in fondness and nostalgia. "He was rather good at lectures even when we were young."

The two were quiet for a moment, Tom just taking a moment to watch the painted version of Harry grin and wave, before he spoke. "Why did you side with Voldemort then? I'm sure your father would have told you he was a fake."

"He did." Lucius didn't even look remotely remorseful. "But at the time someone needed to keep an eye on the fake. I didn't know who to trust, but in my naive youth I thought that perhaps...perhaps the fake really was you, but being controlled." He winced a little and sighed. "My father's journals detailed some of what happened to the mediwizard at Hogwarts while you were students and I thought…"

"You thought the same thing had happened to me." It was a logical thought, one that Tom was sure Dumbledore would have done if he hadn't vanished with Harry into the future.

Lucius nodded slightly. "When it became obvious that the fake really was fake...I was too deep to escape." He rubbed at his arm for a moment. "So I tried to get as close as I could, influence what I could, save who I could." There was pride there in Lucius' voice and his back straightened just a bit.

"There is...there is something you need to see."

Tom's head snapped around and his eyes narrowed at the nervousness that suddenly filled Lucius' voice. "See what?"

Lucius cleared his throat and reached over to press a few a sequence of small runes that had been carved into the very edge of the portrait's frame. There was a soft click and the portrait swung open silently.

"When the fake Voldemort was given the prophecy and became obsessed with the Chosen child, I knew something had to be done." Lucius said, not quite answering Tom. He stepped into the hidden passageway behind the portrait and pulled his wand from the cane to create a lumos to guide them through the dark passageway.

"There wasn't much I could do, not until the fake decided which child to go after seeing as there were two that were born within the parameters of the prophecy." The man's words were mechanical and precise as he spoke. "When the news came of the fake's decision...I was too late to save Lily and James...physically at least."

Tom and Lucius came to the end of the hallway. Tom prided himself on being able to keep his emotions in check and hidden physically, but for once in his life his mouth dropped and he was at a loss for words.

"They're not ghosts, not exactly, but I was able to save their spirits."

In the center of the room was a large bed. Laying in the center of the bed were two shimmery silver forms.

"Their souls are tied to a pair of crystals. I originally tried to place their souls into golems, but they've been too weak to latch on properly. Perhaps in another few years I'll be able to try again."

Slowly, one of the shimmering forms sat up. The woman had long curly hair that moved around as if being pushed by a gentle breeze. Even though her entire body was silver, Tom just knew her eyes were supposed to be a bright emerald green. The shape, size, and just the sheer expression from those eyes screamed 'Harry' to him.

Tom knew he was looking at the spiritual form of Lily Potter and her husband James Potter.

The woman smiled tiredly and waved for a moment before laying back down to go back to sleep. "They've been sleeping for the most part these last 13 years, but I have been able to get at least part of the story of that night from them." Pain and hesitation filled Lucius' voice and he motioned for Tom to follow him back out of the hidden room.

"Do I even have to guess who killed them?" His words came out as a growl. From what research he had done and from the things he had learned from Grindelwald, golems could be programmed to be able to cast certain spells, but anything of great power just couldn't be done. Supposedly the Potter's had been killed by the killing curse, but a golem would definitely not have the power to cast that sort of spell.

"I would hazard a guess that you already know." Lucius arched a brow at Tom as if challenging him.

"Dumbledore."

Tom had to stop for a moment as he slammed his fist into the stone wall of the passageway. His emotions were all over the place and even his carefully maintained occlumency shields were having problems keeping his rage from leaking out.

"According to Lily and James, Dumbledore was visiting for dinner when the fake Voldemort showed up. Dumbledore pretended at first to fight the golem, but then a strange spell was cast that made the air shimmer. James is sure it was mirage spell meant to confuse anyone using a Location Memory spell.

"Once the spell was in place, Dumbledore turned on Lily and James. From what we can tell...he did cast the killing curse, but something went wrong." Lucius was frowning as he relayed the story. "Neither Lily nor James can remember, but from the residue I was able to find on the edge of the property there was an ancient protective magic there that partially shielded them. I think the shield was actually protecting Harry, but because they were so close to him it at least shielded their spirits long enough for me to arrive and anchor them in crystals."

"Ancient protective magic?" Tom frowned deeply at Lucius.

"Yes. I couldn't trace it or even determine who had cast it, but I arrived in time to at least identify it before it vanished."

Lucius sighed softly and ran a hand through his long bangs. "Dumbledore was gone by the time I arrived, and the golem had been destroyed. Harry was alive, but he had been injured and, from what I can tell, some other magic had been done to him."

"What _kind_ of magic?" Tom demanded coldly, his eyes boring into Lucius as he fought the urge to use legilimency on the man.

A shiver went down Lucius' spine. He could see why Dumbledore had chosen Tom's image to create the golem; the teenager had such striking power that just a look could intimidate someone with even the strongest willpower.

"I'm not sure. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say some sort of bonding magic. It didn't feel like a spell, just...just pure magic." Lucius spoke quickly, fearing that perhaps the golem had been created a little too closely to Tom's likeness and that perhaps the teen enjoyed throwing around the Cruciatus curse just as much as the fake Voldemort.

"The boy's godfather showed up soon after that so I was unable to get a closer look. After that, Potter just vanished. Dumbledore claims he placed the boy with his relatives, but as far as I knew James didn't have any other relative."

It was Tom's turn to fill Lucius in. They were back in the room with the portrait when Tom started telling Lucius about Harry's life with his muggle relatives. Since the man already knew about the time travelling, thanks to his father Abraxas, Tom didn't have to censor anything. Apparently Lucius already knew quite a bit about Tom and Harry so there wasn't much for Tom to add other than the few strange things about Harry's magic and their bond.

"What do you have planned now?" Lucius asked once Tom was done answering the majority of his questions.

"Harry wishes to return to Hogwarts. With him being the Heir of Hogwarts, he feels drawn to the castle. He feels responsible for the castle and I agree with him." Tom crossed one leg over the other in the chair he was seated in. "I do not want to leave the castle in Dumbledore's hands."

"Understandable, but do you think it's wise for Harry to return as himself?" Lucius was frowning from where he was standing near an old desk to one side of the room. "I have many contacts in the ministry. It would not be difficult to work with the goblins to create a false identity."

"No." Tom sighed tiredly and shook his head at Lucius' offer. "Harry has already made his decision. He received the attendance letter under his birth name and he will return to the castle as Harry Potter."

Tom had fought long and hard with Harry about it, but the younger teen was not budging. They were both sick and tired of running, hiding, and playing Dumbledore's games. Harry didn't want to hide any longer.

"You're family. I will do everything I can to help you. Both of you."

Even if Lucius wasn't bound to him because of the loyalty oath, Tom knew instinctively that he could trust Lucius.

"Alright. Tomorrow I want you to floo to our new manor in Hogsmeade. We will discuss the situation at length and work on our current strategy to include any and all information both you and Severus have for me."

For a moment Lucius didn't know what to say. "Severus? Severus Snape?"

A slow wicked smile spread across Tom's lips as he nodded. "Oh yes. I've already adjusted the mark on him and given him his first orders." His smirk turned into a frown. "We don't have much time before Harry is to go to Hogwarts."

The danger that they both felt was left unsaid. The longer they could keep Harry away from Dumbledore and any possible threats, the better.

* * *

"So how _am_ I going to present myself today?"

It'd been a few days since the dinner at the Malfoy's and in that time their small group had met several times to figure out what exactly they were going to do. The biggest hurdle was how Harry was going to show up at Hogwarts to get sorted.

Tom had point blank refused to let Harry ride the train, not that Harry actually wanted to. The only person on the train that he would know, at all, was Draco and they wanted to keep that friendship secret until after Harry was sorted.

So even though it was September 1st, they had at least 7 hours to kill before Harry had to be at the castle.

Severus was already at the castle since he had last minute professor duties to take care of, but Lucius and Remus were both at the new Peverell manor in Hogsmeade with Harry and Tom.

"I'm not sure." Remus was chewing on his lip slightly and rubbing his chin. "Transfer students aren't really a thing at Hogwarts...what would normally happen?"

Everyone looked to Lucius, who was on the Board of Governors and knew more about the procedures regarding Hogwarts.

Lucius sighed and shook his head slightly. "Normally the transfer student would be escorted to Hogwarts from the train station by one of the professors. Then the student would join the first years waiting to be sorted into their house."

"Should I be at the train station then?" Harry wondered with a slight tilt of his head. "Do the professors even know I'm coming? I mean I got the letter, sent back my acceptance, but no one ever showed up."

It amazed everyone. It was possible that Dumbledore had tried to find Harry to personally speak with him regarding his transfer, but with the protections from the goblins it had been impossible for anyone to find Harry. The goblins had told them that no one had even tried to inquire about Harry's location with them.

For a man that was obsessed with control, Dumbledore sure had taken a back seat this summer in finding Harry.

"It is possible they thought your acceptance was some sort of prank." Lucius drawled slowly. "Ever since your 'defeat' of the Dark Lord, there have been many copycats and false reports of you showing up around Britain." He shrugged slightly. "I'm sure there have been several people claiming to be you while trying to get into Hogwarts."

Harry wrinkled his nose and made a rather disgusted face. "What do you mean copycats though? Why would people claim to be me?"

"The 'Harry Potter' franchise is very lucrative." Lucius spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Not to mention your inheritance is not exactly small."

Remus was nodding along with Lucius, until his eyes lit up in realization. "They don't know!" He exclaimed in astonishment. At Tom's glare, the werewolf quickly explained. "There are many childrens books written about 'Harry Potter's Adventures', not to mention all the product endorsements over the years."

"But I've been missing." Harry pointed out with a huff.

"Not according to public record." Lucius felt like hitting himself for not realizing the two teens had no idea about what had been going on in the years since Harry's disappearance. "For the past several years Dumbledore has claimed you were away for private training and education."

It didn't need to be said, but it was obvious to everyone that Dumbledore had been the one to agree to the endorsements and the 'Harry Potter' franchise.

"I...I never really thought about why there were books about Harry…" Remus whispered. "I knew he was missing, everyone in the Order knew, but it's like-"

"You were probably under a compulsion of some sort to not think about it." Tom's magic was riled up and he felt like breaking things. He kept his composure though and made himself look calm at least.

Harry knew otherwise, and he quickly took Tom's hand to give it a squeeze to comfort him.

"We still don't know how I'm going to introduce myself." Harry quickly said to change the subject. "I mean, I could just march into the Great Hall and yell that I'm Harry Potter." He smirked goofily and his messy black hair shifted to get into his eyes.

"As interesting as that would be to watch," Lucius was doing his best not to snicker "I do have an alternative idea."

Lucius quickly detailed his plan, which Tom agreed to after a long discussion. Harry still wanted to make a grand entrance, but his idea was shot down again.

And so, almost 7 hours later, Harry found himself being escorted to the large double doors of the castle by Lucius.

The carriages had already come and gone, and once he and Lucius were standing outside of the Great Hall, Harry could hear a older female voice calling names. He could hear the hat yelling out the houses between each name.

"Are you ready, Mr. Potter?" Lucius smirked down at Harry, who just smiled right back at him.

"Yes sir, Mr. Malfoy."

They waited until they could hear Dumbledore making his customary speech before Harry asked the castle to throw the doors open.

The Hall was silent as Lucius and Harry strode into the Great Hall together.

"Ah. Lord Malfoy, what brings you to us this fine evening?" Dumbledore was still standing at his podium and there was obvious surprise in his eyes.

"Headmaster." Lucius tilted his head slightly in greeting and he escorted Harry to the front of the hall just in front of the staff table. He waited a moment as if waiting for something before sighing softly. "It would seem there was an error in your attendance list." He motioned for Harry to step forward. "You have a new transfer student. He sent his acceptance reply, but no one arrived to escort him to the castle."

"A transfer student?" Dumbledore frowned deeply as he eyed the boy standing next to Lucius.

It was possible that Dumbledore really had no idea that Harry had received his invitation to Hogwarts. The Castle was sentient after all and it was possible the Castle had sent the letter to Harry without updating the list of students.

Harry would have to check with the Castle later to find out. The shock and surprise on Dumbledore's face was just too genuine.

"Yes. This young man was very concerned when he no one arrived to speak with him about transferring to Hogwarts this summer, so he sent correspondence to the Board." Lucius placed his hand on Harry's shoulder to make sure the younger boy didn't try to be dramatic. "When no professor arrived to escort him, he sent a message to me and, well, here we are."

"How kind of you Lord Malfoy." Dumbledore smiled warmly at Harry. "Well then, shall we know the name of our new student so that we can properly sort him into his house?"

"Of course." A slow cat like grin stretched across Lucius' lips. "Allow me to introduce you to Harry Potter."

A pin could have dropped and been heard in the silence that descended upon the Great Hall. And then all pandemonium broke loose as students jumped up and started talking and yelling loudly. Several staff members had turned to Dumbledore, demanding an explanation.

All the while, Dumbledore stood there looking dumbfounded while Harry just smiled pleasantly. Their eyes met for just a moment, and Harry could feel the old man trying to push into his mind.

Harry felt the magic of the Castle wrapping around him like a blanket and it pushed Dumbledore out of his mind. He hadn't even needed to rely on the occlumency shields that Sir Leighleas had taught him how to make. Dumbledore was no match for Hogwarts.

* * *

Special thanks to: Louise To

A/N: Welp. Just 1 chapter to go. I think. I might end up with 2 more chapters depending on how chapter 32 goes.

Remember I do have a tumblr: ethrildragon


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

A/N: I know this chapter is 5 months late, but better late than never right? I know I said this story is going to end up being 32 chapters, buuuut...I think I didn't make my estimates right when writing out my rough outline. This story is probably going to end up being 35 chapters long.

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 32: A Stressful First Week

"SILENCE." It took a few minutes for Dumbledore to break out of his shocked stupor. His booming voice reverberated throughout the Great Hall and the students all fell silent. He cleared his throat and when he finally spoke he was smiling once more. "It is wonderful for you to join us Harry, my boy. Perhaps we should have your sorting in private though?"

"Of course not Headmaster!" Lucius made his eyes wide and his hand flew to his chest as if he were in shock. "That would be breaking with tradition. Mr. Potter must be sorted in front of the school so that he can join his house for the Welcome Feast."

"He's right Albus." A rather stern looking woman whose grey speckled brown hair was pulled back into a tight bun. "The school charter states that all students must be sorted in front of the rest of the school."

A few other teachers spoke up and soon enough Dumbledore was sighing. At least he hadn't had time to make the announcement that Harry Potter would once again be staying out of Hogwarts for private training.

It did bring the question though as to where Harry had been all this time and why the school attendance list hadn't been updated for the new term. Dumbledore did not like that the boy had suddenly popped up out of nowhere after years of searching for him.

"It is true that tradition should be followed," Dumbledore said calmly as he gently waved his hands for the staff to be silent. "But this would not be the first time a fake Harry Potter has shown up. I simply suggest we move this to a private setting to confirm that Mr. Potter is who he says he is."

"Why not let Hogwarts herself confirm me?" Harry spoke up at last. He reached up to adjust his glasses; it was so weird having to wear them again and he wasn't quite used to them. At least he had control over his magic sensitivity; he internally cringed at the thought of trying to see through glasses while dealing with seeing the blinding and beautiful magic of Hogwarts around him. "If I am not a legitimate student then the Sorting Hat will be unable to place me into an appropriate house."

"The boy is right sir." This time it was Severus that spoke up. He was sneering at Harry, looking down his long crooked nose at the teenager as he spoke. "Hogwarts will be able to confirm or deny him a place amongst the student body. That is _if_ he is being truthful."

Harry sighed dramatically before reaching into his pocket to pull out a folded and slightly mangled acceptance letter.

"If I am not wanted then why send me this?" He asked as he lifted the letter into the air. His name was clearly visible in a simple cursive scrawl. It had been addressed to Harry through the Gringotts mailbox that he and Tom had been using. "I mean, really, I received this after just recently moving back into the country. If you didn't want me then why send it at all?"

Dumbledore's eyes had gone wide, as well as the gaze of the older woman next to him.

Normally either the Headmaster or the Deputy Headmaster wrote the acceptance letters, but neither remembered ever writing a letter to Harry after his first year.

And yet there Harry Potter was standing, holding a letter with the magical seal of Hogwarts.

"Albus," The woman whispered quickly. "Let the Hat sort the boy and then we can discuss this after the feast."

There wasn't much Dumbledore could do at that time. Making any more of a scene would not be good for anyone and he would not outright accuse the boy of being fake in front of the entire school only to be proven wrong. If he really was a fake, the sorting hat would take care of things.

Not to mention that the students at the four tables were all whispering quite loudly and many of them were standing to get a better view of what was going on.

"Quite right." Lucius was getting tired of waiting and he tapped his walking stick against the stone floor loudly. "Let Mr. Potter be sorted."

Dumbledore barely had time to nod before the stool was placed once more before the students and the hat appeared. McGonagall didn't even have time to stand up to fetch the hat herself.

He watched with narrowed blue eyes as the boy smiled and practically bounced over to the stool.

For the second time in his life, Harry felt the hat slip over his head and cover a large portion of his vision. He had to wonder about just how big Godric Gryffindor's head had been. The hat's voice filled Harry's mind cutting off his internal thoughts and making him smile.

" _You know, I don't normally get to resort students."_

Of course not, Harry thought, but then how many students got to travel through time repeatedly?

 _"Too true. I stand by what I said last time though. You've grown though and you could do well in any of the houses. You are the Heir of Hogwarts, after all."_ The hat sounded amused in Harry's head as it spoke. " _But I can see you still desire to stay in Slytherin. Be warned though, times have changed since last you were here. Slytherin house is hounded by darkness and loathing. You will not have an easy time there."_

When had Harry ever had an easy time?

 _"If you are sure…"_ The hat waited a moment just incase Harry decided to change his mind, before calling out "SLYTHERIN."

The hall was silent for the few minutes it took for Harry to pull the hat off his head, set it respectfully back onto the stool, and then walk over to the designated table. By the time he made it to the spot next to Draco his robes had gained the Slytherin crest and the silver and green trim of the house.

"Well then. I believe that solves the question of whether or not he is a student here." Lucius purred as he smiled a little over at his son, who was now whispering quickly with Harry.

Lucius frowned mentally at that. Draco still didn't know who exactly Harry and Tom were. He had been training his son in Occlumency for some time, but Draco still wasn't at the level he needed to be for Lucius to be comfortable enough to reveal the family secret. Tom had agreed with him.

"If that is all, then let us all enjoy the Welcome Feast!"

Piles and piles of food appeared on all four tables before anyone else could even attempt to interrupt the feast again.

"I think I'll join you for the feast." The words had barely left Lucius when a new chair appeared next to Dumbledore for him. "It would only behoove me to be present at the discussion with young Mr. Potter after the feast. I have a few questions that need answers before I return to the Board."

"Of course." Dumbledore smiled and nodded understandingly even though internally he was seething. He wanted to speak with Harry privately!

"Seeing as how Mr. Potter," It was Severus' turn to speak up and he was sneering the entire time "has been sorted into my house, I will need to be present as well as his school guardian."

Dumbledore's hand twitched and he had to fight the impulse to curl his fingers into a fist. Of course Severus would want to be present; he took his role as Head of the Slytherin House very seriously. If Harry had been sorted into Gryffindor, Dumbledore would have been able to get away with not having McGonagall there.

She rarely ever took up her full duties as Head of House since her duties as Deputy took up most of her free time. That and she was utterly loyal to Dumbledore. If he told her that he wanted to talk to Harry alone, McGonagall would respect his wishes immediately and without question.

Back at the Slytherin table Draco was having the time of his life introducing Harry as his friend.

"You met Potter over the summer and you never told me?" One of the girls, who had been introduced as Pansy to Harry, cried out with a gasp. "Draco! I thought we were friends!" It looked like there were tears in her eyes and she sniffed rather loudly through a nose Harry thought made her look a little like a pug.

"Yes Draco, I thought we were all friends here." A dark skinned boy said with a playful smile. There was a hint of an accent in his voice that Harry couldn't quite place. He didn't seem too terribly upset over being left out though, not like the girl that was practically clinging to Draco.

"Father asked that I keep our association quiet until school." Draco failed to tell them that he had only known Harry for about a week. "Harry, to continue, this is Blaise Zabini."

"Pleasure to meet you." Harry quickly shook the offered hand and inclined his head in greeting.

"Ciao, Harry. I may call you Harry, yes?"

"Of course." Harry smiled at Blaise and then at all the other Slytherins around him. "It is only polite to refer to each other by our given names seeing as how we are all in the same house. I really hope we can all be friends."

"Oh! Yes we should definitely be friends!" Pansy cooed happily, her cheeks a bright pink and her lips stretched out in a bright smile. She was still clinging onto Draco's arm, but she was now leaning a bit across him in order to see Harry better.

Draco rolled his eyes and huffed. He would rather not have to share Harry, but his father had told him to help Harry out if he should be sorted into Slytherin. Slytherins were ostracized enough as it was, so it only made sense for their entire year to try and get along at least.

"This is Theodore Nott, Millicent Bulstrode, and Daphne Greengrass." One by one Draco introduced Harry to their fellow 4th years. "And of course Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle." The two large boys were too busy eating to really pay Harry any mind.

"We're all so curious about you Harry." Pansy was batting her eyes at Harry and trying her best to flirt without being obvious. "Headmaster Dumbledore has told us that you've been away for private tutoring and training! We barely know anything about you."

Harry had to quickly squash the instinctual need to snarl when the old man was brought up. He forced himself to take several deep breaths before smiling slightly at Pansy. "I have no idea what he has been talking about. Up until this summer I have been living in France with my foster family."

Both Tom and Harry had been rightfully angry when they'd found out that Dumbledore had been keeping Harry's disappearance a secret and had been lying about his living arrangements. They decided to nip it in the bud by having Harry contradict every rumor about his life whenever it was brought up.

Eventually one of the students would send the gossip to someone at the Daily Prophet and if not, Lucius would discreetly let certain chosen information leak. In time Dumbledore would be flooded with so many inquiries that he wouldn't have time to try and do anything to Harry.

"Oh?"

Harry swallowed a snicker when he noticed several Ravenclaws not so subtly listening in.

"Yup. The Peverell family in France have been taking care of me since I was 5. My muggle relatives weren't very good care takers so I was removed from their care." As much as Harry wanted to say worse things about his aunt and uncle, his Malfoy parents had taught him better over the years.

His relatives had been muggles after all, and muggles did not deserve his ire let alone his respect. Better to just distance himself as far as possible from them seeing as how he was never going to see them again.

"Peverell? I think I've heard of that name…" Blaise murmured with a frown.

"It's an old British name. The main branch in Britain died out several generations ago, but there are a few lines in other countries still." Harry explained easily, repeating the same information that the goblins had given him and Tom at the beginning of the summer. "The Potter family can be traced back to the Peverells as well, which is why they took guardianship of me."

Blaise was nodding, but he was still frowning slightly. There was just something about the Peverell name that tickled at the back of his mind and he couldn't seem to figure out why.

"If you were living in France does that mean you went to Beauxbaton's Academy?" Pansy asked excitedly. "I hear it's such a beautiful school! It's supposed to be in the Alps right? There are supposed to be so many amazing and beautiful magical creatures there." She sighed in a rather girly fashion and her eyes had a far off glimmering look to them.

"Sadly I didn't." Harry shook his head and leaned a little away from Pansy. "I was privately tutored. Thomas was enrolled though."

"Thomas?" Up until then Theodore had been silent, just watching the newest addition to the Slytherin house.

"Oh. Right. Thomas Peverell is the current Lord of the family. His father, the previous Lord, passed away a few months ago which is why we moved back to Britain."

The story had been carefully crafted by the goblins in preparation for Harry and Tom's reentry to the present day magical world. Just as they had promised, the goblins had been able to forge Tom's school paperwork. With a combination of bribery and memory alteration, the goblins had created a very detailed history for one Thomas Peverell.

There were even records of the Previous Lord Peverell having passed away in a French hospital in late May. That way Tom's recent inheritance to the Lordship would easily be accepted.

An awkward silence descended on the group before Pansy attempted to continue the conversation.

"What was it like living in France?"

Harry shrugged a little, but he did give her a friendly smile. "It was alright. We never went out much, but when we did we mostly went to museums or to the summer villa at the beach." He'd spent enough time in Slytherin growing up to know how to lie; give just enough information to settle curiosity, but always be a little vague.

"Honestly though, my foster family was very private and we rarely went anywhere or had guests." Which would help to explain why Harry was never spotted anywhere.

The rest of the feast went by quickly after that. At the end of dessert, Harry felt a hand come down onto his shoulder.

"Mr. Potter...our newest celebrity." Severus Snape gripped Harry's shoulder tightly as he spoke. "Headmaster Dumbledore wishes to speak with you. Seeing as how you have finished eating," Severus looked at Harry's mostly empty plate "we will go ahead and leave for the Headmaster's office."

"Yes sir." Harry set his fork down and pushed away from the table. "I'll see you all later then." He smiled at the group before following after his new Head of House.

It was strange for Harry as the two of them walked silently through the castle. The castle hadn't changed a bit, but the residents were so very different. Severus Snape was such a different Head of House as compared to Slughorn. He was so stern and silent that Harry felt like fidgeting whenever the man looked at him.

"Sir?" Harry cleared his throat after a few minutes of tense silent walking.

Severus groaned and he eyed Harry out of the corner of his eye. "Yes, Potter?"

Sensing that the castle was keeping unwanted ears from listening in, Harry continued. "I never got to thank you, for the potion at Gringotts." The few times in the last week that Harry had seen Snape, Tom had kept the two from actually speaking with one another. Harry could tell that Snape didn't like him, his magic just had a rather cold and aggressive feeling to it, but also a deep sadness that made Harry ache deep in his bones.

Severus' eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

"I know it was your job and everything, but you still helped me so...thank you." Harry smiled brightly up at his Head of House. "Tom appreciates your help too, even if he doesn't say it. He's not very good at expressing himself; especially when he's grateful." Harry chuckled a little.

There was no response Severus could even think to give. His opinions on Harry Potter had been rocky and uncertain for the last week, but with him showing appreciation and actually _thanking_ him...Severus was at a loss. He had always assumed Harry Potter would be like his father if they ever met; obnoxious, rude, opinionated, thick headed, and a bully. But this Harry Potter, the one walking next to him, was nothing like that. Perhaps it was the Dark Lord's influence that had made Potter into who he now was…

Severus would just have to watch the boy. He was in Slytherin after all so there was probably something about Potter that he kept hidden.

"Potter. Dumbledore is an accomplished occlumens. Do not look him in the eye." They were getting closer to the Headmaster's office now and Severus had to make sure Potter was ready.

"Of course sir." Harry was confident that he would be safe from Dumbledore's mental intrusions. If his own shields weren't strong enough then the castle would protect him; though he did hope he wouldn't have to rely on the castle.

"He is a skilled manipulator and he will interrogate you thoroughly in the most polite and respectful way possible."

"Thank you for the warnings sir."

The gargoyle that guarded the stairs leading up to the office jumped out of the way even before Severus could give the password. The potions master blinked in surprise, but he said nothing.

Harry on the other hand had to hide a smirk behind his hand. Even though the gargoyle was the guardian of the Headmaster's domain, it was still a servant of Hogwarts and its loyalty was first and foremost to the Castle and its heir. Harry would never have to use another password within Hogwarts if he decided he didn't want to.

No room or space would be off limits to Harry so long as he was within Hogwarts.

Severus and Harry were the first to arrive at the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore had only just started making his beginning of the year speech when they'd left and Lucius would probably walk with Dumbledore.

The Headmaster's office was so different with Dumbledore in charge. Harry had only seen Dippet's office once or twice, but it'd been organized with very little extra bits and bobs. It had looked like an office. The Headmaster's office with Dumbledore in charge though? It was like looking into an organized mess. There were so many trinkets lining the shelves, most of them moving and making softs sounds, that Harry couldn't seem to keep his attention on one thing for any real length of time. There were carpets of various clashing colors and designs spread out on the floor with the edges overlapping here and there making it hard to walk without tripping every few feet.

"Fawkes!" Harry cried out softly when a flash of red caught his attention. Completely forgetting that Snape was in the room and that, technically, Harry wasn't supposed to know much about the school, Harry went straight for the phoenix.

"What are you doing here?!" He whispered as he released some of the control on his magic sensitivity to properly see the Guardian's magical signature.

" _When I helped you escape, the Traitor caught me and bound me using several very dark spells."_ The phoenix trilled softly. " _He can't remove me from the school, but I cannot disobey a direct order nor can I leave this perch without his permission."_

Snape watched dumbfounded as the boy began speaking with the phoenix. The biggest surprise of the night was that the phoenix was actually talking right back to him! He had never heard of a phoenix being able to communicate, but there the phoenix was speaking as clear as day.

" _It is so good to see you again young Heir."_ Fawkes leaned his beautiful feathered head down to rub against Harry's forehead.

"I can see the spells…" Harry murmured as he focused on the dark murky sensations that formed chain like structures around Fawkes. The magic of Hogwarts was still there around the phoenix, but Dumbledore's magic was almost like a layer of mold over the pure magic of the Castle. "I think...I think I can remove them."

" _Remove what you can, but don't strain yourself."_ Fawkes cautioned the boy. " _There is one that you should leave be. It connects the Traitor to me and if it is gone he will know, but if you remove the other spells he will not have control over me any longer."_

Harry grumbled softly in anger. He would have rather removed all the disgusting spells, but he knew Fawkes was right. If he removed the spell connecting Dumbledore to Fawkes then the old man would know immediately. So long as Dumbledore didn't actually have control over Fawkes then that connection wouldn't have any real power.

"Hogwarts? Warn me when Dumbledore gets to the gargoyle." Harry murmured as he twined his magic and the magic of the castle around his fingers. He felt Hogwarts magic press against his skin in assurance that it would do as asked.

What he was about to try to do had no real spell, not one that he knew of at least, everything he was about to do was instinctual. He was just going to wing it and hope for the best. Since the Guardian bond that Fawkes had with Hogwarts was still there, Harry was pretty sure he could just scrape Dumbledore's magic off.

Like cleaning mud off his boots.

Harry took a deep steadying breath before reaching out to touch at Dumbledore's disgusting murky magic.

The moment his fingers made contact Harry was filled with a sense of _wrongness_. It wasn't just that the magic felt like slime against his own magic, but that there was a _sickness_ there. In the time since Harry and Tom had been thrown back into the future, Dumbledore had gotten sick.

At least that's what Harry could feel as he began scraping the spells off of Fawkes. It felt like Dumbledore's magic was weak and stale. Harry had felt something off back at the Quidditch World Cup, but now that he was actually touching the old man's magic, he was positive something was wrong with Dumbledore.

Harry was able to get the spell that forced Fawkes to obey Dumbledore off of the phoenix, as well as the one keeping Fawkes chained to the perch, his magic acting like a knife to scrape off the dark sludge like magic off when Hogwarts warned Harry that Dumbledore was close.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more." Harry whispered painfully, but Fawkes just strilled warmly and rubbed against his hair again.

The entire time Harry was interacting with the phoenix, Severus had been watching in awe with wide black eyes. Such strong magic had built up around the boy, around his hands, that even Severus could see how the air seemed to waver and blur as if heat was rising from his skin. When Potter had scraped his hands through the air around the phoenix, sparks jumped from his fingers and strange dark tendrils dripped to the ground only to vanish with a hiss.

Severus was openly gawking and he didn't even notice until the boy stepped away from the phoenix and shook his hands as if to knock the magic off of them. The air around Potter returned to normal as the boy turned to look at him.

"Oh…" Harry winced and he rubbed at his arm as he remembered that he was supposed to be pretending to not know anything about Hogwarts. Only Lucius knew the full truth of himself and Tom; Remus knew just enough to know that Harry wasn't as ignorant about Hogwarts as he was supposed to be. Snape though had no idea about any of his history.

"We will speak of this." Severus had to clear his throat when his voice cracked softly.

"Talk to Tom." Harry was able to just get out before the door to the office swung open to reveal Dumbledore standing there along with Lucius just behind him.

"Wonderful! You're already here Harry." Dumbledore moved as if to give Harry a hug, but he stopped when Harry timidly moved away. Harry was looking at the floor and one of his feet was scuffing gently at the fringes of one of the many carpets.

"Headmaster," Lucius cleared his throat and waved his wand, which he had quickly pulled from his walking stick, to summon a couple more chairs. "If we would please move this along. I would like to return to my home before the hour gets too late."

"Ah, yes, of course Mr. Malfoy."

As Dumbledore took his seat, Harry couldn't help but notice just how _old_ the man looked. To Harry it had only been a few months, but for Dumbledore it had been decades. He didn't just look old though, he also looked tired.

If Dumbledore hadn't ruined so much of Harry's life, he might have actually felt bad for the old man.

Lucius and Severus took seats on either side of Harry once he was sitting across from the Headmaster.

The four of them were silent, each waiting for someone else to speak. Harry was very carefully not making eye contact with Dumbledore, either by looking at his forehead or at his beard. Both Severus and Lucius had their hands very carefully resting on their wands and both were watching Dumbledore closely.

"You've been away for a long time, my boy." Dumbledore very carefully said as he laced his fingers together over his desk. Since he had fought so long to keep Harry's disappearance a secret he had to be careful as to what he said with Lucius in the room. "I was unsure if you were ever going to accept enrollment at Hogwarts."

"I probably wouldn't have, had my guardian not passed away." His heart clenched painfully in his chest as Harry remembered that Drake and Demeri Malfoy were dead. The pain of that loss was real and fresh and the three adults could not deny that Harry really did look to be upset.

"I am sorry for your loss, my dear boy." Dumbledore murmured with a sympathetic droop of his lips.

Harry had to give it to the old man; he knew how to play the role of a caring Headmaster well. He knew the truth though. He knew exactly who and what Dumbledore was and he would not fall for the warmth that the old man was trying to portray.

"Headmaster," Lucius cleared his throat and brought his walking stick down to get the old man's attention. "If we would please get down to business. I want to know why Mr. Potter's name was not on the attendance list for this year and why his acceptance response was ignored."

Dumbledore waved a hand to summon a large tome that was shelved behind his desk. "I assure you Mr. Malfoy that Harry Potter's name is not on the attendance list. Minerva and I check every year in order to send out letters, but Harry's name has not been on the list since his first year."

To prove his point, Dumbledore opened the large book to the list of fourth years. "Take a look for yourself."

Lucius leaned forward a bit and his grey eyes quickly scanned down the list. After a moment of looking, the corner of his lip twitched as if he were trying to suppress a grin. "What are you playing at Dumbledore?" He demanded as he scowled at the book. "The boy's name is clearly written right after the Patil's."

Even Severus was quick to lean forward as Dumbledore was instantly looking down at the book.

Sure enough, Harry's name was there in the book in legible scrawl that had been on his letter.

"When did- How did-" Dumbledore stuttered in shock. Potter's name had most definitely NOT been there over the summer! And yet it was there in black and white in the book. Dumbledore was tempted to claim that someone had tampered with the Book of Admittance, but it was an ancient magical artifact that was so saturated with magic that not even he could change anything.

"Even if you hadn't noticed the boy's name," Lucius was now sneering coldly at the old Headmaster. "You surely would have received his acceptance response."

"W-well yes, but we have received many false letters and responses from fake Harry Potter's over the years." Dumbledore was pale and trying desperately to recompose himself. "I had assumed the letter was just another fake. Another attempt to get at the Potter inheritance."

Perhaps he should have checked the tracking spells over the summer, but he had been so busy planning for the coming events for the year he hadn't thought to check. Dumbledore had long given up hope that Harry Potter was still alive; after all the tracking spells and potion had never revealed Harry Potter in the past.

"And you didn't think to send a professor to check on the legitimacy of the letter?" Lucius felt actual anger towards the old man. Just how many students had been allowed to slip through the cracks due to Dumbledore's lack of care and responsibility? "There are protocols to follow, Headmaster, did you not think to follow them?"

"Now see here Mr. Malfoy-"

"It's _Lord_ Malfoy." Lucius hissed. He was tired of putting up with Dumbledore's disrespect. "It is a damned good thing that Mr. Potter's new guardian saw fit to notify the board of this oversight. Otherwise Mr. Potter would have been left waiting and confused as to whether or not he truly was going to be enrolled."

"N-new Guardian?" Technically speaking Dumbledore was supposed to be Harry Potter's magical guardian, but it seemed even that had been stripped from him. He should have been notified the moment Harry had been adopted or taken out of the country, and yet it had never happened.

"My foster parents son has taken up the responsibility of being my guardian." Harry offered up. That information was readily available so it wasn't like Dumbledore wouldn't find out if he asked around. "He was made the new Lord Peverell so the goblins didn't see a problem with transferring guardianship to him."

Which was the truth. To protect Harry from Dumbledore, the goblins had made Tom his guardian seeing as how Tom was of age and a Lord.

"P-Peverell!" Just how many surprises were going to be dropped on Dumbledore that night? "The Peverell family died out generations ago."

Harry wrinkled his nose and shook his head at just how stupid Dumbledore was. "Just because one branch dies off doesn't mean the entire line has." He pointed out with a small sigh. "There are family members in France and America, not many, but a few."

"Shouldn't you know all this Headmaster?" Lucius asked with a small smirk. "You have been telling everyone for years that you knew where Mr. Potter was and what was going on in his life. Surely you knew he was under the care of the Peverell's?"

Dumbledore's mouth snapped shut and he was trying desperately to figure out how to get out of his blunder.

"Never mind." Lucius sighed and stood up. "I have my answers for the Board. I will not waste any more of my time watching you gape like a fish." He smoothed down his robes and turned to leave. "I expect the Board will have more questions once I inform them of what I have learned. I would expect an inquiry if I were you Headmaster."

Lucius turned to smile down at Harry, completely dismissing Dumbledore from any further conversation. "It was a pleasure to meet you Mr. Potter. If you have need of anything, feel free to contact me."

"I will, thank you Lord Malfoy." Harry smiled warmly up at Lucius which had the Malfoy's expression soften just a bit before he spun around on his heel and swept out of the office.

"Severus, if you would give us a few minutes alone? I have a few things I need to discuss with Mr. Potter." Dumbledore had taken the moment to collect himself and now that Malfoy was gone he was sure he could get the answers he wanted.

Severus sneered and shook his head. "Now that Mr. Potter is a member of my house," He grimaced as if he had eaten something not very pleasant at that. "I must be present when you speak with him."

"Ah Severus, your dedication to your students is quite admirable." Dumbledore gave the sneering man a genial smile. "But I just want to have a little chat with Harry. To catch up."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that, _sir_." Severus felt the mark on his arm twinge slightly as the order from his true master rang through his mind. "You are the headmaster of the school and as you are not the boy's guardian any interaction between yourself and Mr. Potter can only be about his school performance."

With a flourish of his black robes, Severus stood up and motioned for Harry to do the same. "I would suggest you get in contact with his guardian should you wish to speak with Mr. Potter about things outside of your purview." He bowed his head a little. "It is best if I escort Mr. Potter to Slytherin house before curfew. I would rather not risk having him get lost in the castle on his first night."

Once again Dumbledore was gaping in shock as Severus Snape quickly escorted Harry out of the office. Never before had Severus spoken to him like that; at least not when Dumbledore had given him an order. He was protective of his Slytherin students, yes, but this was Harry Potter! The man should be more than willing to disregard the boy.

Harry was quick to follow Snape out and away from the perpetual danger that was Dumbledore.

"Between the inquiries from the Board and Lord Peverell's interference, you should be left alone for at least a little while." Severus murmured once they were far enough away from the Headmaster's office. "If Dumbledore does request your presence, notify me immediately."

"Is it true what you said?" Harry asked with a small frown. Truthfully he didn't know all the rules surrounding what the Hogwarts staff could and could not do. He knew what he as a student wasn't supposed to do, but not really the staff. "That he can only talk to me about my school performance?"

Severus nodded slightly before shrugging. "Technically if he requests your presence you have the option to talk to him of your own free will, but he cannot force you to talk to him about anything that is not school related. The school charter states that the Head of house of the student, or their legal guardian, must be present whenever the Headmaster wishes to discuss school performance. That does not and has not stopped Headmasters in the past from speaking with students in private though."

"He'll not let this go." Harry sighed tiredly and he pulled his glasses off so he could rub at his eyes. "Good thing Tom is in Hogsmeade. If anything happens he can get here fast."

The potions professor made a noise in the back of his throat in agreement. "If worse comes to worse you can submit a request to the Board of Governor's to live in Hogsmeade. Staying in the dorms is only required of students that live outside of the area."

"Seriously?" Harry stopped short in surprise. Why hadn't anyone told him and Tom that earlier?

"Yes. It is not a common request and most people have forgotten about it. The request must also go through the Board so they do have the option to deny the request." After Tom had ordered Severus to protect Harry, Severus had felt a compulsion to learn everything about the School charter and rules no matter how obscure they were. "I would honestly not be surprised if Lucius did not know about it."

It was something that Harry would have to bring up with Tom when he snuck out of Hogwarts the coming weekend.

Severus escorted Harry into the Slytherin common room. They arrived just in time to hear the end of the prefects listing of house rules ot the newly sorted first years.

Harry ducked away from the potions master and made his way over to where Draco was lounging on one of the green couches with Theodore on one side and Pansy on the other.

"Harry! I was getting worried." Draco called out when he spotted Harry walking towards them. He smirked at his new friend in a calm and cool way, but Harry could see the lingering worry in the teen's silver eyes. "We thought Dumbledore would force you to be resorted."

"The Gryffindors will not be happy to have lost a Legacy to the Slytherin house." Pansy Parkinson stated with a stiff sniff. She tilted her head up and glared down her nose as if she was disgusted with herself for having to mention the lion house.

When poked at by Draco, Theodore stood up and took a seat in the only other available seat in their semi circle. Harry sent the young heir a grateful smile before sitting down next to Draco.

"The Headmaster didn't mention being resorted, but he did ask several prying questions into my private life." Harry grimaced and crossed one leg over the other knee as he leaned back on the couch. "Professor Snape informed me afterwards that I am not required to speak with Dumbledore about anything that is not school related. If the Headmaster pushes, I'll inform Tom and he'll do something about it."

Harry didn't mention that that 'something' would probably be making Lucius file an inquiry with the board. They had all sorts of plans on how to ruin Dumbledore's reputation during the coming year.

"Honestly, for someone as old as the Headmaster you would think he would have more tact!" Pansy huffed and sneered angrily. The anger was quickly masked after a moment with a purse of her lip.

"He believes himself to be beyond reproach, at least that's what my father says." Draco rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. He physically turned his body to give Harry all of his attention. "You missed the end of the feast speech, by the way. Dumbledore revealed something quite startling."

"It's only startling because your father hadn't told you yet." Theodore, by that point, had gotten his hands on a rather old looking book and was reading as the others conversed around him.

Draco's cheeks colored and he grumbled a bit. He couldn't deny the truth of what Theodore had said; his father really had kept this little tidbit of information to himself.

"Well?" Harry asked after watching Draco fume for a few minutes. "What did I miss."

"Nothing much." It was Zabini that spoke up when Draco continued to pout and fume. "Apparently Dumbledore agreed to host the Triwizard Tournament here at Hogwarts this year."

Harry blinked several times, slowly, as the announcement filtered through his thoughts. "The triwizard-" He sputtered a bit. "Is that not the death tournament that was discontinued a couple hundred years ago?" He'd read about it in Hogwarts, a History as well as from several other history books that his Malfoy parents had insisted he study growing up.

Daphne, the only one of their group that was actually interested in history, nodded and sighed softly. "The very same one. Dumbledore insists that there will be strict security measures in place, but there is only so much you can prepare for when it comes to magic."

"It's like inviting a grim to a Samhain celebration and expecting no one to drop dead." Draco scoffed as he rejoined the conversation.

"I'm guessing the other schools participating are Durmstrang and Beauxbaton?" It wasn't that far of a leap; they were the only other two schools in Europe. As far as Harry knew the schools in the other countries and continents were more than happy to keep to themselves.

"Of course."

Harry hummed at that and the conversation changed to what the coming years classes were to be like. He hadn't been able to select his extra classes yet, seeing as how his returned acceptance letter had been ignored, but Harry knew Professor Snape would talk to him about his classes soon. Probably in the morning.

* * *

In the first few days of school, Harry was almost cornered by Dumbledore no less than a dozen times. Each and every time at least 3 other Slytherins had been around and one of them had always gone off to get Snape. Dumbledore had also invited Harry to 'lunch' or to have tea after classes every single day.

A few Slytherins had even reported seeing Dumbledore wandering around in the dungeons as if to 'randomly' bump into Harry.

It got so bad that Harry had started taking his lunches down in the kitchen just to make sure no one would be able to deliver the notes.

Only a week had passed and already Harry was really considering making the request to the Board to allow him to stay in his Hogsmeade home with Tom. He'd wait to speak with Tom in person during the weekend though.

"Hello Harry."

Harry was pulled from his thoughts suddenly when a soft airy voice spoke just across him in the library. He'd been waiting for the library to clear out for the night so he could go and speak with Madam Pince. It was already Friday and he'd been trying to speak with her in private for the entire week.

The two of them had made eye contact a few times, and Harry had seen the woman suppress a twitch of a smirk, but they had yet to actually speak.

"Can I help you?" Harry asked as he eyed the girl that was smiling serenely across from him. Her hair was almost as blond as the Malfoy's, but instead of the platinum blond color it was more of a sunny blond. Her blue eyes were a little glazed and she couldn't seem to look right at him. Harry couldn't help but stare at the turnip earrings hanging from her ears or the butterbeer bottle cap necklace around her neck

"Oh no! That's nice of you to offer, but I'd rather be helping you." The girl giggled lightly as if the two of them were sharing some funny secret. "I know you want to see Madam Pince, but there are so many wrackspurts around her right now it probably wouldn't be such a good idea."

The girl was so strange that Harry wasn't sure how to respond. He had no idea what wrackspurts were or who the girl was, but she was acting like they had known each other for years.

"The headmaster asked that I give you a note, but I seem to have misplaced it on the way here. The nargles probably took it. I hope it wasn't important." The girl tilted her head in thought which made her strange turnip shaped earrings swing back and forth. "Oh well."

"I'm sorry," Harry shook his head and stood up from his seat. "But who are you?"

"Did I not say?" The girl tilted her head the other way. "Perhaps I have a few wrackspurts around me as well. I'm Luna Lovegood." Luna didn't offer him a hand to shake, she just kept smiling.

Harry had never cared about houses and house proud in the past, so he'd never taken the time to take note of house crests, but the blue of her robe was a simple indication that she was in Ravenclaw. He couldn't remember seeing her in any of his classes so Harry assumed the smaller girl was probably younger than him. Then again he had always been on the short side so it was possible she was older.

"I'm a year below you Harry." Luna just kept smiling even as Harry eyed her suspiciously. "Apollo was right when he said your thoughts are very loud."

The use of the Ravenclaw Guardian's name had Harry instantly on alert.

"Of course I know him. We have tea every weekend and discuss all sorts of interesting things." Luna still wasn't meeting his eyes instead keeping her gaze over his shoulder. "You should return to your common room. The Traitor is going to try and ambush you again if you don't show for tea today." She turned away quickly with a small frown. Luna was lost in thought and was just about to leave when she heard a quiet voice behind her.

"Thank you."

Luna turned and smiled at Harry. "Maybe this weekend sometime we can go and see the Thestrals. Albino would love to see you again Harry. Have a goodnight." She turned and lightly skipped out of the library, humming some random song softly the entire way out.

The girl knew two of the Guardians! For a moment Harry feared that Hogwarts had been trying to select a new heir since he had been gone for so long, but a comforting press of magic against his skin assured Harry that Hogwarts would never try to replace him while he was alive.

Perhaps the girl was the heir for one of the other houses? If she knew Apollo and Albino then she was probably the heir for either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. Seeing as how she was in Ravenclaw it was possible that she was the heir of Ravenclaw. Apollo had said Rowena had made contingencies for when her line had died out.

It was something to think about another time. If Lovegood was right then Dumbledore would probably be on his way down and Harry did not want to deal with being cornered again when none of his housemates were around.

As much as he really wanted to speak with Madam Pince, which he had yet to do, Harry would have to wait.

He almost made it to the common room entrance when he felt the murky presence of Dumbledore not far from him in the dungeons.

" _Keep him away from me!"_ Harry hissed in irritation as he hurried his steps. He felt Hogwarts respond and the castle's magic was suddenly swirling in the direction of the Headmaster. Suddenly Harry was moving forward twice as fast while the Headmaster seemed to have slowed his steps.

"Harry, my boy!"

Harry ignored the call and flicked his hand up towards the wall that he was rushing towards. The wall slid open without a password and he was through well before Dumbledore could catch up, thanks to Hogwarts.

"There you are Harry." Sitting on one of the couches over by the fireplace was Draco and a few of their classmates. He waved at Harry when the dark haired boy rushed through the entrance. The wall closed up behind him faster than Draco had ever seen before. "Everything alright?"

Harry smiled, grateful for his friend's genuine concern. Draco kind of reminded him of Eileen in a way; proper and serious, but caring towards friends.

"I'm fine. Just barely avoided Dumbledore. Again." Harry went over to the couch and sat down between Blaise and Draco with a groan. He was really getting tired of having to dodge the old man whenever he wasn't in class.

"Is it just me or does it feel like he's stalking you?" Blaise was frowning a bit as he leaned against the armrest of the couch. "I can't ever remember seeing him around the Castle so often. Normally we only ever see him during meals...if at all!"

"It's true." Pansy piped up from where she was sitting on the floor next to Daphne. The two of them were sharing the Witch Weekly magazine and reading through articles together. "Sometimes he's gone for weeks and no one will explain why."

Draco sneered and scoffed loudly. "My father says Dumbledore is the worst Headmaster Hogwarts has ever had. The man can't even be bothered to do his job. He's too busy sticking his wrinkled nose into other people's business."

The other Slytherins bantered back and forth and slowly Harry relaxed in his seat. He'd gotten so tense during the last week that he was surprised that he was getting any sleep at all. He hated that he had to worry so much about Dumbledore all of the time on top of worrying about his schoolwork.

Harry was about to say something when he heard the stones in the wall of the common room entrance grind against each other. A sense of dread went through him and in slow motion he turned towards the entrance.

Sure enough his fears were realized. Dumbledore, in his bright purple and yellow spotted robe, was standing there with his hands clasped behind his back.

Slytherins were taught early on to not show emotion, especially in the presence of someone that could be an enemy. The moment the entrance moved to reveal the Headmaster, Harry could see every Slytherin mask slip into place.

It wasn't that Slytherins were rude, far from it, Slytherins were calculating, aloof, and ambiguous. They hid their emotions and to outsiders it made them come off cold and sinister.

"Harry my boy! There you are!" Either he was unaware of the guarded glares he was receiving or he just didn't care, Dumbledore came striding straight into the common room and made for Harry on the couch right away.

From the corner of his eye Harry spotted one of the prefects hurrying out of the common room; probably to go and get Professor Snape.

After the first few days of Dumbledore practically stalking Harry, an unspoken rule had been put into place that all Slytherins were to watch out for the unlikely fourth year snake.

"Headmaster." Harry kept his expression as neutral as possible as he stood up from the couch. "May I ask why you are here?"

Dumbledore's steps faltered for a moment, but he refused to let the young boy's emotionless voice unnerve him. "Why, my boy, I just want to have a chat with you." He chuckled softly as if they were sharing a joke. "I thought you might be interested in hearing stories about your parents. I was rather fond of James and Lily. I always thought of them as my own in a way."

It was a low blow and Harry had to fight back a flinch. He had always wanted to know about his parents, especially after hearing the lies from his aunt and uncle about how his parents had died while drunk driving. Remus had quickly assured him, after they had gotten to know each other, that Lily and James had been wonderful people that would have loved and been proud of Harry.

Harry could feel support radiating from his newly made friends who were sitting and standing around him silently. He took a deep breath and smiled ever so slightly and calmly at the old goat before him. "I appreciate the offer, Headmaster, but I have to decline." The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes dimmed as Harry continued. "I have placement exams for my selected extra courses that I need to study for, you see, as well as homework from my required courses."

"Quite right, Mr. Potter."

Standing behind Dumbledore was Professor Snape. The prefect that had gone to fetch him slipped back into the common room and returned to his own group.

Dumbledore turned a little to smile at the potions professor, but the smile looked forced in his elderly face.

"Ah. Severus. I was not expecting to see you here."

Snape sneered at the Headmaster and gave him an incredulous look. "The Slytherin dorms happen to be in the dungeon, Headmaster, as well as my classroom, office, and personal quarters." His words were slow as if he were trying to explain something extremely simple to an idiot. "It would make sense that I would be in the dungeons regularly."

"Yes. Of course." Dumbledore's hand twitched and the movement caught Harry's eye.

Having avoided the old man as much as possible, Harry had missed the magic that was swirling around the headmaster. It stuck to the man like a second skin and Harry came to the conclusion that Dumbledore was wearing some sort of glamour.

Since glamours were just magic layered over a person, they were easy to see through if you knew how. And Harry definitely knew how.

His eyes narrowed for a moment and he changed the strength of his dampening charm just enough for him to see through the magic that surrounded Dumbledore. He sucked in a sharp and silent gasp. Dumbledore's hand was black and withered looking. It looked like it had been burnt black and then mummified. There looked to be no muscle under the wrinkled and dry black skin and the old man's fingers moved stiffly whenever he used the damaged hand.

Cursed dark magic leaked from the corpse like appendage and Harry felt sick just looking at it. He powered up the dampening charm again so that Harry wouldn't have to keep looking at the disturbing sight.

No wonder the man's magic had felt so sickly; he was literally decaying and his magic was dying right along with him.

Dumbledore and Professor Snape were saying something to each other, but Harry wasn't listening. He was trying to think about the implications of Dumbledore being this sick. That sort of curse couldn't be stopped or cured; it was a death sentence that could be slowed down a little. Where and how had the Headmaster come across such a curse?

Harry felt the magic of Hogwarts press against him and he got the feeling that the castle knew exactly what had happened to the Headmaster. The castle felt justified and there was a hint of pride there as well. When Harry wondered if Hogwarts had cursed Dumbledore, he got the feeling that no, the castle hadn't. But the castle knew who had.

The curse had been growing slowly, painfully, for decades. Hogwarts pressed the understanding into Harry that Dumbledore had performed dangerous dark rituals to slow the curse to an absolute crawl for decades, but the man's time was running short. The dark rituals were no longer working and the curse had started spreading faster.

"- some tea Harry?"

Harry pushed himself mentally away from the silent conversation he had been having with Hogwarts to focus once more on Dumbledore.

"Again, Headmaster, I appreciate the offer, but I must decline." Harry was really getting tired of repeating himself to the old man. Perhaps he was hard of hearing now that he was so old? His annoyance must have been on the strong side because he could almost feel Tom frowning through their bond.

"Seeing as how Mr. Potter has said no, Headmaster," Severus practically purred as Dumbledore's warm smile faded a bit. "Perhaps you can leave the Slytherin common room now? Many students are trying to study."

"Yes. Of course." Dumbledore paused for one more moment, as if hoping that Harry would change his mind at the last minute. When Harry simply took back his seat on the couch, Dumbledore sighed and made his way out of the Slytherin common room.

"Loony old goat." Someone from their group said once Dumbledore was gone and the entrance was sealed again. The rest of their peers chuckled and they returned to their previous conversations and readings.

The stress Harry was feeling from avoiding Dumbledore for a week finally got to Harry that night. He'd been relying on the steady and calm pulses Tom would send through their bond, but there was nothing either of them could do when the nightmare struck.

Dreams of sirens filling the air in loud and long blasts were followed by images of bombs falling from the sky over a terrorized London. Screams from people caught outside during the German raids were the only thing Harry could hear just before a bomb would hit the ground or a building. The backlash of magic when Diagon Alley was hit for the first time had Harry's head pounding in rapid bursts of pain.

Stress from dealing with Dumbledore brought back memories of the war to Harry in his nightmares. His parents had tried to shield their children from what was going on, but with Harry's sensitivity and partial Sight, he could never avoid it.

Harry woke screaming as he watched another bomb in his mind's eye fall right next to St. Mungos. Only the strengthened wards had protected the magical hospital, but only barely.

"Harry?"

He flinched violently when a hand touched his shoulder and Harry scrambled off the other side of the bed as his mind raced to catch up to his newly awakened state.

Seeing Draco standing there, on the other side of Harry's bed, confused his tired and nightmare ravaged mind. "Abraxas? Th-the bombs. They fell again. I know they did." He babbled insanely and his green eyes shifted around unseeingly only barely recognizing the Slytherin dorm room he was in.

"Blaise! Go get Professor Snape!" Draco hissed when Harry continued to babble nonsense. He watched as Harry sank down to his knees and wrapped his arms around himself.

"When will it stop 'braxis? I'm scared. I hate seeing those...those things. Please! Where's Ladon? Where's Tom?" Harry couldn't stop seeing the scared faces of the poor muggles that had been caught up in the bomb explosions. He couldn't stop seeing the ruined buildings and hearing the wailing siren that sounded so much like the call of a banshee.

Those sirens were probably the worst part of the visions. Every time Harry heard them, he knew so many people were going to die. They truly were like banshees, heralding death in the worst way.

Harry whimpered and covered his ears to try and cover the ghostly sound that was all in his head. He hated this. He wanted Tom! Tom was always able to chase away the nightmares. Where was Ladon who would always hiss soothingly to him whenever one of those horrifying vision dreams would invaded his mind.

"Move aside." Harry felt hands on his shoulders suddenly and he flinched back when he failed to recognize the magical signature that was invading his space. It seemed familiar, but not enough so. His own magic lashed out and he heard a sharp gasp from the man that had been trying to pull him from the curled up ball Harry had ended up in.

"Mr. Potter, you need to calm down."

In the time it had taken Blaise to run to Severus' rooms, Harry's magic had built up and had started attacking the furniture in the dorm room. The other boys had quickly left, leaving Draco to try and calm the hysterical Harry down. Draco was the only one that Harry's magic didn't attack.

Severus hissed when the boy's magic slashed out again to keep him away. In his hand was a calming draught, but he couldn't even get close enough to magic the potion into Harry's stomach.

"Please Mr. Potter. I'm not going to hurt you." The potions master tried to gently coax Harry into a more stable state. "Everything will be alright."

"No it won't! It never is." Harry whispered between sobs. "They keep coming and coming! There's something strange about the last ones, they did something to the wards. The wards almost broke and I can feel them screaming! Where's Tom? I need Tom!"

The things the boy was saying made absolutely no sense, but Severus had practice dealing with the mad ramblings of the insane. At least the Potter boy wasn't cackling gleefully and casting a cruciatus ever five seconds.

"Get away from him."

"Tom!" Pure relief filled Harry when his bonded's magic filled every corner of the dorm room and cocooned around him tightly. The nightmare that Harry could not shake, even while he was awake, started to finally clear from his mind as Tom knelt down next to Harry and began petting his hair.

Severus looked at his Lord in disbelief. How had he gotten into Hogwarts so quickly and when the wards were at their strongest at night? The older teen arched a brow at Severus and twitched his head toward the door to tell him silent to leave. Severus did so with a small nod and bow.

"Draco, thank you for keeping Harry company until I could get here." Tom didn't look away from Harry, but he spoke to the youngest Malfoy all the same.

When Harry had first started screaming in his sleep, Draco had woken up and gone instantly to his friend. He hadn't really noticed when Harry had called Draco by his grandfather's name. Now that Harry was calming down, Draco was starting to connect the dots of what had just happened.

"He called me Abraxas." Draco's voice was hushed as he watched the man that his father had befriended rock Harry in his arms.

Tom stilled and he glanced at Draco sharply. They still hadn't told him about who he and Harry were.

"Tom?" Harry's timid and tired voice pulled their attention back to him. "Where's Ladon? I can't...I can't remember…" His mind was still foggy from the nightmare, but he was slowly coming back to himself.

Tom swallowed hard and he took a deep steadying breath. When they'd first arrived in Harry's original time, they had been too stressed and too busy to at first notice what they were missing. Ladon and Ophion had been resting in their dorm rooms the day Dumbledore had attacked them. They were old for snakes, their constant contact with magic had lengthened their lives, but they still tired easily.

"They weren't with us when we," Tom cleared his throat and glanced again at Draco. "When we left home."

The boy in his arms blinked several times, but Tom watched as total clarity finally came to Harry. He heard Harry whimper and sob softly as he remembered that their family had all been left behind in the past.

Harry and Tom were alone now. Their family were all dead and in the past, only a few of their friends remained and they were all so aged. Harry hadn't even gotten the chance to speak with Eileen and he wasn't even sure if he should and risk her cover.

"What's going on?"

With Harry finally wide awake and free of the nightmare vision, he blinked up at Draco and saw him for who he really was. "I'm so sorry Draco!" Harry hurriedly said with a gasp and he realized he had mistaken his new friend for his older Brother.

"This weekend, Draco, you and Harry will be coming to Hogsmeade. I think it's time for you to be told the truth." Tom's words were steady and strong. Draco needed to know the truth so he could help protect Harry if something like this happened again.

"Now then...Harry, tell me what happened?"

Harry whimpered and he buried his nose into Tom's sleeping shirt. He must have woken Tom up through their bond and had called to him with his magic. Tom must have apparated into Hogwarts using the Founders magic that he had access to.

"The war...I dreamt of the war." Harry's voice broke and he tried to swallow the sob. "We never did learn about what happened after we left…"

It was obvious that Britain had survived the muggle WW2 and had rebuilt itself once the fighting had stopped. "I'll get some history books and give them to you this weekend." Tom gently pressed his lips to Harry's temple. "The war is over now Harry. Those visions are just nightmares now. They can't hurt you."

"I know." Harry whispered tiredly. "But magic will always remember what happened Tom. As long as magic remembers, I have no choice to remember as well."

The three teens were silent after that for a long time. Eventually Tom called Severus back into the room and was handed a vial of dreamless sleep. Harry was reluctant to swallow it down, but Tom coaxed him into taking it.

Harry fell off to sleep again while Severus used his magic to fix up the room that Harry's magic had practically torn apart.

The other boys were allowed to return to their beds, each glancing worriedly at Harry before slipping their bed curtains shut again.

Severus and Tom left the Slytherin dorms and the two of them went to the potions master personal chambers.

"I think for the next few nights Harry should be given a dreamless sleep." Tom instructed his follower. "It's obvious the stress of dealing with Dumbledore has weakened his occlumency shields. His nightmares haven't been this bad in years."

"Of course my Lord." Severus kept his eyes downcast as he listened to his young Lord speak. Even after reacquainting himself with Tom Riddle, currently known as Tom Peverell, during the summer Severus still couldn't get over the fact that his Dark Lord was barely old enough to be out of Hogwarts.

"And Severus?" Tom waited until the dark eyed man looked up at him. "I know you're doing your best at protecting Harry from Dumbledore. I thank you for that, but we need to start the next phase of our plan."

Severus' eyes went wide, but he nodded all the same. They had been planning on starting the next phase of their plans in October or early November. It was barely a week into term.

Tom knew exactly what was going through his followers mind. "With the Triwizard Tournament happening this year and how sensitive Harry's magic is right now...I have a feeling something bad is going to happen."

Harry only ever had visions like that when he was stressed or when his magic was reacting to something else going on. Normally Harry's occlumency shields kept his mind safe at night from nightmares and visions.

If something really was about to happen, then they needed to move up their time table. For Harry's safety, Dumbledore needed to be made a laughing stock to the magical community. People needed to lose faith in the old man so that when Tom took his rightful place in the Wizengamot, the old goat wouldn't be able to fight back.

"Start gathering memories from people who have seen Dumbledore harassing Harry. Once you have all you need, send them to Lucius. He'll know what to do."

Severus bowed to the teen Lord before him. Even though he looked so very young, Severus could only see the regal and powerful Dark Lord that Lucius Malfoy had always dreamt and talked about.

"As you command, My Lord."

* * *

A/N: Here ya go. Chapter 32. I'll start working on the next one.


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